Project Motherhood: Ms Fortune
by Gamer95
Summary: Rewrite of Harry's Ms. Fortune, Harry Potter is abandoned in Little Innsmouth by his uncle. Left to fsce the trials of the streets alone, he feels no one will ever help him. Until he is rescued from a pack of stray dogs by a pun loving cat burglar... Co-writer: SkorchNTorch
1. Chapter 1

The streets of Little Innsmouth were barren and empty, the inhabitants having retreated to their homes for the night. All was silent, and calm... Until one lone car entered the town. The man driving the car looked for a secluded area, where he doubted anyone would see him. Then, he stepped out of the vehicle and pulled open the trunk. Inside the trunk of the car, was a tiny child. Barely up to a healthy adult's knee. The boy was curled up in the car, and when he saw his uncle scowling down at him, he curled up into a ball and whimpered.

Vernon Dursley grabbed his nephew by the collar of his shirt and held him up to eye level, snarling viciously. "I'm warning you now, boy... Make NO noise. NOT. A. PEEP. If you do... I'll kill you. Do I make myself clear?!" Holding back a whimper, the child nodded slowly. Storming into a nearby alley, Vernon threw the poor child against the wall as hard as he could, the child biting his tongue hard enough to draw blood to prevent himself from screaming. Vernon towered over the cowering child and smirked. "One more for the road, boy..." He said sadistically. And then, the beating began.

Harry had been through this ordeal time and again. If you expected this to make him numb to the pain, or find some way to ignore the feelings of terror... Well, I'm sorry. But that wasn't the case. All Harry had learned was that making any sound only made things worse. He did everything he could to remain silent, and hoped that this would all be over soon. At one point, he may have wished for someone to save him, but those feelings and dreams were gone. He had given up hope, he simply believed what he was told. Harry wasn't sure how long he had been beaten before it stopped, maybe he had passed out. But when he finally did wake up, he was alone. The night air was cool and did provide a slightly calming breeze to his bruised body. But that was all.

He pushed himself up shakily and stumbled to his feet, finding it difficult to stay standing. It hurt... It all hurt so much... Right now, more than anything, little Harry Potter wanted his cupboard... Walking forward shakily, he looked around, timid and worried. "U-Uncle Vernon...?" He called out softly, tentatively. But he received no answer. "Uncle Vernon?!" He called out again, this time scared. No answer. He began to breathe heavily in panic. He was alone?! In unfamiliar streets?! His uncle had abandoned him!

Despair overwhelmed the little boy, and he sat down and hugged his knees tightly. He no longer had a home... No cupboard... No weekly fill... Nothing but the rags he was left with. Whimpering softly, the little boy buried his face into his knees. He was in pain... He was scared... He was cold... And he was completely alone."I...I...I want my mommy..." He whimpered.

He sat against the building wall and decided to try and wait, to see if anyone came looking for him, hoping that maybe someone would. Maybe... maybe in the morning... Losing the battle against his weak and tired state, Harry slowly let his eyes close, falling into a pained sleep.

A month had passed and many things had changed. Snow was falling, and the townsfolk were getting ready for the holidays. Walking to stores or homes, everyone seemed to be in good spirits, enjoying the crisp cold winter air.

Except for Harry.

In the past month, he had tried to find his family, but to no avail. He was too frightened to go to anyone else, so he had been living in the alleyways, digging through trash to try and find anything to eat.

The occasional Dagonian had noticed him, but he always ran when they tried to come near. Not out of fear of their appearance, but fear of them hurting him like his uncle. Yes, little Harry Potter was scared of everything. He was also cold. There was no warmth to speak of, and it was taking its toll. And he was hungry... So hungry... So tired... The boy coughed violently, hunching over slightly. On top of it all, the cold had made the poor child very, very sick.

Currently, he was sitting in a damp, rotting cardboard box that he had essentially made his home. He looked at the place where he'd put whatever food he could find, only to remember he hadn't found any in the past two days. He whimpered sadly as he debated between trying to sleep or trying to find some food. In the end, his hunger won out and he set back out to look around the nearby trashcans.

Carefully, he lifted off a lid, and peeked inside. He let out a deep sigh of relief when he found a half eaten sandwich, only a little bit moldy. Eagerly, the child reached down to grab it... But was interrupted by the sound of growling. Eyes wide, the boy whipped around to see a pack of large, angry dogs before him, all snarling viciously. Harry whimpered and began to tremble violently. He hated doggies... They always attacked him... He didn't want to get bitten... "G-Go away..." He protested weakly. The dogs didn't feel particularly up to listening, however, and they pounced.

Harry screamed as the group of dogs bit at him from every angle. One of them had its jaws around his leg and was shaking it violently. Another was biting down on his arm and pulling as hard as it could. One was trying to rip into his ribcage. And another still was ripping away at his cheek. Harry couldn't stop screaming. He didn't WANT to stop screaming. For the first time, he wanted someone to hear him, to save him... It hurt... It hurt so much...

Nearby, a woman happened to be in the area. Lithe and tan, with deep blue eyes and a platinum blonde bowl cut, the most striking feature about this woman was the pair of cat ears atop her head and the tail sticking out her back end. This woman wore a black trench coat that did little to protect her from the cold weather, especially due to the outfit she had underneath, which could only be described as half a blue shirt, a black bikini bottom and some ripped pants that left her thighs and shins completely exposed.

This was Nadia Fortune, town hero and last member of the fishbone gang. Nadia was out on a casual stroll through the town. She shivered very slightly. She prided herself on her impressive resistance to frigid temperatures, but even she had to admit that this cold was pretty bad. It sent a chill up even her spine.

"Eh, snow point staying indoors over being a little chilly." She mumbled to herself. "Think I'll head over to Yu-Wan's... nice bowl of soup would be the cat's pajamas right-"

The sound of barking got her hair, ears and tail standing on end. "Oh geez... This place is REALLY going to the dogs..." She muttered. "Well, time to put down a few more mutts."

After a Medici dogfighting ring had been busted, their dogs had found themselves dumped off in Little Innsmouth. In one month alone, twenty two Dagonians were hospitalized by these dogs, and twelve of them didn't make it. Nadia had taken it upon herself to personally exterminate the dogs herself. All outside help called was either racist towards her aquatic friends, completely brainwashed by dog culture and refused to believe any dog could be too dangerous to keep alive, or both.

She had made incredible progress in taking down the threat to her hometown, and this was most likely going to be the last of them. Nadia ran as fast as her legs would carry her, ready to dispose of the threat once and for all. A swift decapitation would suffice just nicely.

Then, her ears picked up something else... Screaming... A child's screaming...

"Oh no..." She gasped, the colour draining form her body as she heard the pained cries. After turning down a few alleyways, she was momentarily frozen in horror. The mutts seemed to be attacking what looked like a baby. The horror quickly shifted to anger as she leapt into action. Her claws made quick work of the dogs, providing a somewhat brutal (but compared to what they had been through, relatively quick and painless) death. Nadia was left standing in the snow, blood covering her hands as she breathed heavily, finally getting a better look at what the dogs had been after. Lying on the ground, now with even more torn clothing and bleeding cuts, was a baby... No. Not a baby... Wait, why did he look like one?

Gently bending down Nadia gently tried to turn the child over to comfort him, but when she placed a hand on his back, she realized two things: One, her hand was still covered in blood, and two, there was practically no meat on this little boy.

She saw the boy wince in fear and curl in on himself. "N-No... Please don't... I'm sorry, don't hurt me, don't hurt me, please..." Nadia's ears drooped and she carefully turned him over. Harry was ready to panic, but when he saw his saviour, all fear washed away as he saw the pair of cat ears on top of her head. Nadia smiled sadly.

"Hi, kit... You okay?" She asked gently. Harry opened his mouth to reply...but then began to violently cough before shaking uncontrollably and whimpering from the cold. Nadia, without hesitation, removed her trench coat and wrapped the boy up tightly before picking him up and hugging him tightly to her chest to share her body heat with him.

Nadia also now realized he felt as heavy as a stuffed animal, making it clear he was very malnourished. She didn't even have to look under his shirt to see that. His voice also sounded like it was broken, the poor dear was probably sick... "Kitty?" He mumbled through shivering teeth and weakness from hunger.

"Daw... you're a sweet little kitten, aren't you?" Nadia cooed, smiling as she saw Harry reaching up for something. "Hm? Is there something you'd like?"

"P..pe...pet...e.." Harry managed to weakly get out, and Nadia blinked in surprise, then smiled widely. Leaning her head down, she felt the tiny boy scratch her ears, earning a soft purr from her. This was good. She was establishing that she wasn't a threat. Hopefully she could figure out who did this to him...

When the boy had decided he was done scratching her ears, she leaned back and smiled softly. "Heh... Well, you got to pet me, so it's only fair I should get to pet you." She joked before gently stroking the boy's head. The child leaned into the touch, and she smiled softly, her tail swishing about behind her. "What's your name, sweetie?" She asked gently.

"H-H-" He struggled to speak between coughs. "Harry, ma'am." Nadia stuck her tongue out playfully and made a 'blah' sound.

"Ma'am? Heh... You're making me sound like some kind of old granny, kit. The name's Nadia, but you can call me Ms. Fortune if you'd like." A sudden gust of wind made the boy shiver again. Frowning softly, Nadia carefully shifted him in her arms, holding his head up against the crook of her neck to share just a bit more body heat with him and gently rubbing the back of his head, purring softly to help keep him comfy.

"So, Harry. What's a little cutie like you doing out here on your own? It's too cold for a little kitten to be out on his own." Nadia cooed, feeling Harry almost violently tense at the question. She frowned but didn't press.

"I...I...I..." Harry stammered, trying to think of a good excuse. He knew what would happen if he told anyone anything about what his family did to him. "I was...getting grocries..." He lied, accidentally mispronouncing the word, and Nadia frowned at that.

She took a good look at the little boy tucked in her trench coat, and her ears drooped. Ludicrously tiny size... Far too skinny... Wearing rags... Out all on his own in the middle of the coldest spell she had ever seen... It was abundantly clear to her what was happening. She herself had been through this dilemma. She understood all too well... The signs were very familiar... "Harry... Sweetie..." She said softly. "...You don't have a home... do you?" The way the boy went limp in her arms told her everything she needed to know. "...Well... You do now."

"What?" Harry mumbled, confused. "Where do I live?"

"You're gonna stay with me, kitten." Nadia smiled down at him. She wanted to kiss him to comfort him, but she didn't know how he'd react to it... She settled on holding him close and trying to keep him warm as she began to make her way to Yu-Wan's. Hopefully her friend could heal the poor thing.

"But... I can't..." Harry weakly protested.

Nadia blinked, confused, as she looked over at the shaking child. "Oh yeah? Well why can't you?" She asked softly. Harry coughed a bit before looking down.

"Y-You don't really want me..." He said softly. Nadia frowned and gently nuzzled him, purring lightly in order to bring him comfort and peace.

"C'mon, buddy... Of course I do. I could never just leave you alone in the cold like this." She sighed softly. "Harry, I just need you to put a little...blind trust in me, okay?"

Harry looked down, then very timidly he looked back up at the pretty cat-lady. She had been kind to him, and even if she was just acting, he was so desperate for warmth and food... He finally gave in and leaned back towards Nadia's chest. The woman smiled and patted his head. "There we go..." She cooed softly. "Just sleep now kitten, soon things will be better..." In a matter of moments, Harry had fallen asleep, Nadia smiled and continued her way down the street, ignoring the occasional looks of wonder as she went.

As well as the rather...appreciatve looks she received from several males due to her very revealing outfit. Hey, she felt way more comfortable showing off skin. Kept her ready for a fight. The life gem kept her from getting sick anyway, so what was there to worry about?

When Yu-Wan's restaurant finally came into view, she breathed a soft sigh of relief. She wanted a nice hot bowl of soup just as much as her new little buddy really needed one. But really, the biggest reason was simple: She needed healing water, a special brew that only the family of her best friend, Minette, had access to. Harry needed it desperately.

Thankfully, the afternoon rush was over so when Nadia entered the restaurant, there were very few patrons. "Minette!?" She called in a somewhat panicked voice. "Where are you!?" After a few moments, her fish friend appeared form the back, smiling as she made her way over to Nadia.

"Hey Nadia, what's going- there's a bleeding child in your arms." She began in her chipper tone, but that quickly melted away to shock when she saw the tiny boy in her friends arms.

The Dagonian rushed forward with wide eyes. "Oh my gosh, is he okay?! The poor dear, he's just covered in blood!" She touched his forehead gently and gasped. "Oh my gosh, he's sick too?! Poor little thing... Nadia, what happened?!"

Nadia smiled sadly and kissed Harry's head gently. "Harry here doesn't have a home... And he had a little encounter with the hellhounds." She explained, using the nickname the dogs had received for their learned eagerness to fight and attack.

"Right... okay... okay..." Minette muttered, her breath hitching in fear. "Okay. Um... You just wait here, I'll get him some soup, and I'll get the healing water ready. Just... just... I dunno!" Nadia bit her lip, she had never seen her friend this frightened before. She sighed and seated herself with Harry, continuing to hold him close to her chest.

"Don't worry honey, you'll be feeling better soon." Nadia cooed.

She approached a seat that was closest to the fireplace and hugged the child as tightly against her bosom as she could, gently running her fingers through his hair. Minette stepped out, seeming much calmer now, and sighed softly. "Okay, Nadia... Yu-Wan is gonna bring you some soup. While you feed this poor thing, I'm gonna go home and mix up a fresh batch of healing water..." Minette reached out and gently caressed the boy's cheek. "Poor baby..."

Nadia smiled softly. "Thanks, Minette... Really appreciate it..." The Feral said gratefully. Minette smiled sadly before taking off, leaving Nadia to await Yu-Wan.

Harry now looked up at Nadia once again. "Miss Fortune?" He asked shyly.

"Yes kitten?"

"Why are you helping me?" Harry asked confused.

"Aw, kit... You didn't deserve what's happened to you." Nadia smiled down at him. "You deserve to be happy. Now don't worry, you just rest. I'll keep you safe."

Harry blinked, then nuzzled closer into her, relishing in the combined warmth of the glowing fireplace, the trench coat he was snugly wrapped up in, and Nadia's own body heat. Nadia smiled fondly and gently nuzzled the top of his head with her cheek. Her ears pointed upward at the sound of a soft 'clink', and she turned to look at two bowls of soup with a soft smile. "Heh... Thanks, Yu-Wan." The chef in question nodded with a warm smile. Nadia reached into one of her pouches, but Yu-Wan gently grabbed her arm.

"No, no, Nadia. You are not paying even one coin for this meal. You've saved a life today, and probably many others as well. This meal is on the house."

"Thanks." Nadia smiled, before adjusting Harry in her arms so he was sitting more upright. "Alright kitten, lets get you fed."

"Oh. Um... I'm not hungry..." Harry timidly replied, and Nadia frowned down at him.

"None of that, little man." She cooed, gently stroking his cheek. "You seem like you haven't eaten a decent meal in your life. Besides, this will help you with the sickness." Harry wanted to protest some more, knowing he couldn't eat normal people food, but it smelled so good... and Miss Fortune was at least pretending to be nice... and he was so hungry...

Nadia gave the boy a toothy smile and grabbed the spoon with her tail. "Open up, kiddo. It's SOUPer good." She said, chuckling slightly as she moved the soup into his mouth.

Harry's eyes lit up at the taste. "It's... It's yummy...!" He said happily. Nadia chuckled and scooped up another spoonful, using her tail so that she wouldn't have to break her hold on the clearly comfortable boy.

"Heh... Yep... The chef really knows his stuff." She chuckled. "All right, bud, have some more now..." Nadia slowly fed the boy his entire bowl, smiling fondly as he relished in every spoonful.

By the time he was finished, Harry seemed to be falling asleep again. Nadia smiled and rested him against her chest, patting his back and getting a small burp from the boy. "Excuse me..." Harry mumbled. Nadia tucked him back into a more comfortable position and rocked him in her arms.

"Why don't you take a nap, cutie? I'll wake you later." Harry didn't have to be told twice, and quickly dropped off to sleep, despite his attempts to remain awake.

Nadia chuckled and gently nuzzled the sleeping boy, which caused him to coo cutely in her embrace. "Geez... Is it even legal to be this cute? Might need to check for some kind of license." She joked softly.

Yu-Wan tapped her shoulder, and she turned to see him holding a nice blue blanket. "Nadia... You must go and see Minette now. He needs the healing water."

Nadia smiled softly and rose to her feet. "Right. Thanks again, big guy. That soup really helped him..." Nadia said gratefully before kissing Harry's cheek.

Gently shaking Harry awake, the boy mumbled something inaudible and looked up at the woman holding him, giving a tiny, but genuine smile. "Hey kiddo, we're gonna get you all cleaned up, and you're gonna feel like a new kitten!" She said playfully, standing up and beginning to walk towards Minette's house down the block. Harry, however, much to her surprise and slight sadness, began squirming as if he wanted to get away. "Aww, what's wrong little guy? I'm not gonna hurt you." Harry, however, continued trying to get away, clearly upset by something, and Nadia gently held him a little bit tighter. "What's wrong sweetie? You can tell me." She insisted.

"I...I don't wanna take my shirt off..." Harry mumbled softly, looking down. Nadia tilted her head to the side with a frown, now concerned.

"Worried about the injuries the dogs gave ya, hun? Hey... I know they're bad, but trust me... This stuff will make it all totally vanish. Promise." Harry blinked as he remembered the dogs. Yes... He could just blame the injuries on the dogs! Ms. Fortune would never even know where they really came from!

Leaving the small restaurant, Nadia kept Harry close to her chest as she made her way to her friend's house. She sighed slightly as she thought about what the kid had been through. A dog attack was something she'd only wish on her worst enemies. After a few minutes of brisk walking, Nadia sighed in relief when she saw her friend's home appear up ahead. Running the last little bit of the way, she knocked on the door and waited.

She heard the sounds of her friend scrambling to get to the door, yelping and bumping into things all the while, and chuckled softly at the sounds. Finally, the door was thrown open, and Minette stood there, looking haggard, but still smiling nonetheless. "Oh good, you have the poor thing more bundled up... C'mon in, the water's all ready."

"Thanks, Minette. Heh... I gotta say, I'm impressed. You didn't come out looking like a sweater mummy this time." Minette pouted.

"Let's just get the poor thing healed up..."

"On that, I agree." Nadia nodded.

"So, what you'll need to do is let the poor thing soak." Minette explained. "The water's warm, so it shouldn't be uncomfortable for him, just let him soak for a bit and scrub where you think needs it most. After that, give him a regular bath to clean everything off. Shampoo and soap will mess up the healing water's effects. Okay... I'd better go..."

"Are you going somewhere?" Nadia asked with a raised brow.

"I uh... I have some errands I forgot about and need to get done. I'll be back soon though." The fish woman replied, and Nadia nodded.

Minette gently stroked Harry's cheek on her way out the door. "You're gonna be okay, sweetie. Miss Nadia will take care of everything." She cooed gently before rushing out the door.

Nadia watched her go, then turned Harry with a wide smile before setting him down gently. "All right, kit, mind taking that nasty old rag off so I can clean ya off?" Harry hesitated before complying, carefully removing his shirt... Nadia's world froze when she saw the horrors that lurked beneath that shirt. Scratches, welts, cuts and bruises ran all across his body, all clearly untreated and starting to become infected. Most of the bruises were in the shape of human fists. He was malnourished, his stomach practically concave, his ribs on full display. It was like something straight out of a horror movie.

Nadia turned pale, almost sheet white. Her eyes went wide, pupils dilated. Her ears flattened against her head. Her mouth was open as if she meant to speak, but no words came out. And her hands were clenched into fists, her claws digging into her palms deep enough to draw blood. After about ten seconds, Nadia finally moved. Without even thinking about it, she rushed forward, knelt down to Harry's level, and hugged him tightly and protectively.

Harry was frightened by the sudden hug, believing he was about to be hurt again, that she was going to crush him, that she...

This felt nice.

Harry slowly calmed himself, and realized Miss Nadia wasn't going to hurt him, she was trying to comfort him. Very slowly, he leaned his head against her chest like he had earlier, hoping that he wasn't overstepping his boundaries. Nadia's hand rested itself on the back of his head, gently rubbing it in a very soothing motion. Harry whimpered slightly, desperately wanting to cry, but had to bite his tongue to keep himself from doing so.

"Oh kitten... who did this to you?" Nadia whispered, tears forming in her eyes.

"T..th...the dogs." Harry lied, not wanting to tell the truth.

Nadia gave the boy a sad look and gathered him in her arms, holding him close and nuzzling his cheek. He was lying... She knew that... And he was lying out of fear. She decided not to push for information. He needed to tell her on his own terms, not hers. She let out a soft sigh, then gently pressed her lips against his cheek. "Okay, hun... Let's just get ya healed up..." Gently, carefully, she lowered the little boy into the healing water, taking note of the way the boy cringed the closer to it he got.

Nadia sighed sadly and very slowly set him into the water. Harry gave a tiny 'eep!' when he was first set into the warm water, but looked up at Nadia, as if he had been expecting something else. She smiled sadly. "It's okay, little guy... Just soak for a bit."

Grabbing a nearby bath pillow, Nadia carefully put it against the tub and gently rested Harry's head against it. Harry was very clearly loving the warm water, closing his eyes and smiling contently. Nadia smiled and gently rubbed his head, watching as the injuries and pain slowly but surely disappeared. "Heh... Feels good, huh? Just relax, sweetie... It'll all be okay soon."

Harry slowly closed his eyes, letting the feeling of warmth overtake him. Nadia sighed in relief as she saw most of the cuts and wounds seemed to be closing or fading away altogether. It didn't explain where they all came from, but right now, this was far more important. After about fifteen minutes, Nadia looked over the tiny boy, nodding in aformation that the boy was at least healing.

Smiling gently, the feral took a kneeling position by the tub, gently rubbing his head as he basked in the warmth of the healing water. He cooed adorably at her touch, and she smiled softly. As he bathed, however, Nadia noticed something... Several of the scars weren't going away. Not even showing signs of it. Then she noticed one on his forehead... Carefully scooping water into her hands, she gently trickled it over the boy's forehead. But nothing happened. Nadia's ears drooped. "Some scars never heal..." She spoke softly before leaning down and kissing his forehead.

Harry cooed softly, a sound that melted her heart. "Like the kisses?" He nodded. Nadia gave a toothy grin at that before leaning down and kissing his forehead again, followed by both cheeks. "Heh... Well, there's plenty more where that came from, little guy. Now c'mon... I think you've soaked enough." Harry was visibly upset to be taken out of the warm water, but he didn't fight her. "Hey, don't worry, kit. Now we're gonna give ya a proper bath. Wash all the guck off ya. Looks like you've never even seen a bar of soap before."

Harry looked away, embarrassed and Nadia giggled. This kid was so adorable... if he had gotten lost (which she sincerely doubted) his parents must be worried sick! Regardless, she chose to focus on the task at hand, then talk with him later. Setting him down in another pool of warm water, she smiled when she saw Harry relax once again, seeming to like the warm water. She looked at the cleaning supplies and picked up a bar of soap. "Okay, let's get you clean." She said with a smile before beginning the process of scrubbing his little body, gently, to remove the grime. The water quickly changed colours form a crystal clear blue to a sludge-like gray and green. Nadia decided to take him out and let the water empty out, then refilled it and set to washing him once more.

The process repeated three more times, which worried Nadia greatly. This boy was abused. No way around it, he was abused terribly. Beaten. Starved. Self esteem crushed. It broke her heart. Eventually, she was satisfied with the boy's cleanliness. But since he was so clearly enjoying the bath, she decided to empty it and refill it again. This boy needed some enjoyment and happiness in his life yesterday. So she gently set him in once more and added some bubble bath before finding Minette's old bath toys.

Harry seemed enthralled by the bubbles, playfully trying to grab handfuls as they floated about the tub. When the bath toys were added, Harry was happily playing with a rubber duck in the tub. Nadia smiled and kept a close eye on the tiny boy. It seemed like this was the most fun he had ever had.

Shrugging to herself, she decided to play with him a bit, grabbing a toy fish and moving it through the water. "Glub glub. Glub glub." She made it look up at Harry. "Hey kid. I'm a fish." Harry giggled softly as Nadia held the toy up to his face. "Whatcha laughing at, kiddo? I got somethin' fishy on my face?" Harry giggled harder, which made her chuckle. She had the fish swim about a bit before having it bump into the duck. "Uh-oh. Looks like I've run aFOWL of my old nemesis... Quacks the Duck. You nipped my father. Prepare to get wet." Squeezing the fish, Nadia watched as a small squirt of water sprayed the duck.

Harry giggled a bit louder now, and Nadia felt her heart melting. His laugh was so precious! She wished she could somehow make an audio recording of it, and sell it as some sort of audio therapy. She laughed slightly to herself at the ridiculous concept, but at the same time, it seemed to be an almost magical laugh. The two remained there for another half an hour, until Harry looked around confused before looking back up to Nadia. "Missus Fortune?" He asked. "Uh... where am I gonna go?"

Nadia tilted her head to the side with a toothy grin. "You're comin' to stay with me kit. Remember?" She asked before messing up the boy's hair. "Now c'mon, buddy... The water's gettin' lukewarm. Time to get out." Harry nodded, then allowed her to gently scoop him out of the tub and wrap him up in a soft, warm towel, leaving only his tiny face visible. Nadia smirked lightly at the little bundle of joy in her arms before hugging him close to her bosom. She carried him downstairs and took a seat on the loveseat, deciding to just snuggle with the boy for a while.

She spent about fifteen minutes holding the boy before hearing a very familiar shriek coming from outside. She blinked, then realized what must have happened and chuckled lightly, setting Harry down. "Be right back, hun. I think Miss Minette just did something silly again." She said with a wink. Harry nestled into the couch as Nadia walked out the door and looked around. Near a large mound of snow, she saw a whole bunch of shopping bags sitting on the ground, thankfully having spilled nothing from the tumble their carrier took.

And there, inside the snowbank, was Minette. She had managed to get her upper body and legs buried in the snow, leaving only her butt exposed.

"Hey, Minette. Need a hand?" Nadia said with a smile. An upset and muffled response came from the snowbank, and Nadia laughed. She made her way over and pulled her friend out, who shook her head to get the snow off of her face.

"Oooooh... I hate the cold..." Minette said, shivering slightly.

"Where were you?" Nadia asked with a raised brow, looking to the bags. "Did you forget to restock the restaurant or something?"

"No they're for HarIEE!" Minette began, but as she took a step forward, slipped on another patch of ice, sending her falling backwards into the snowbank. This time, the hole she made was covered by another pile of snow that fell from the rooftop. Nadia couldn't hold back her laughter this time.

Minette's head burst out of the snow with a gasp, and she crossed her arms with a pout. "Hmph... Stupid, dumb snow... Stupid, dumb ice..." Nadia chuckled and shook her head in amusement before looking at one of the bags.

"All right, I'll help ya with...your...groceries..." She looked in the bag to find all she would need to take care of Harry. Some new clothes... A few toys... A toothbrush and toothpaste... Everything. "...Minette..."

"Look, I know it may seem like a lot, but the poor thing seemed nearly dead when you brought him here! I don't know where he's going after this, but he can't be left with tattered rags on his back!" Minette said, trying to explain herself, while Nadia just smiled.

"Thank you." She said sincerely. "For everything."

Minette took a deep breath and smiled warmly. "You're welcome, Nadia... You're the best friend a girl could have. I'd do anything to help you..."

Nadia's ear twitched happily. "But how did you know that I was planning on adopting the little guy...? I never mentioned it to you..." She said softly. Minette smiled.

"I saw it written all over your face, Nadia... That's just the kind of woman you are." Nadia gave her a toothy grin and pulled her into a hug.

"That settles it, Minette. You're gonna be his godmother." Minette gasped.

"Really?! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!", She squealed, hugging her friend back.

"I think we should get inside though, I have a feeling the little guy may think I left him if I'm gone too long." Nadia smiled, hugging her friend.

"Right, of course." Minette nodded, her tone chipper. "You go on in and make sure he's okay, I'll take everything in." While Minette may have hoped that Nadia would insist that she help, she wasn't surprised when Nadia disappeared back into the house. Gently sitting on the love seat once again, she smiled down at Harry who still seemed cozy where he was.

"Hi Missus Fortune." Harry said in his tiny voice.

"Hi to you to kitten."

She picked him up and hugged him close, gently rubbing his back. "Heh... You're way too light, little man... Feel about as heavy as a pillow..."

"M'sorry..." Harry mumbled into her shoulder. She kissed his cheek, and his face lit up in joy, adoring the gesture of affection. Nadia gently nuzzled him, listening sadly as he sniffled and coughed.

The little boy sneezed violently, and he turned his head away to avoid getting it on Nadia. "Heh... Good kid." She said gently, patting the boy's back.

She tucked him close to her chest again and made herself comfortable on the love seat. Nadia kept her arms wrapped around the tiny boy. She was keeping him warm and enjoying his little reactions. It was clear this was a new sensation to him, and he was trying to take in every moment he could in case it was a dream. It was adorable, and a little heartbreaking to be honest. The fact that this was his life, one of clear abuse and neglect... Well, she'd just have to change that!

Minette entered the room, holding the bags so that they were blocking her line of sight, then tripped on a cord and fell over with a yelp. Nadia looked over to see a pile of bags with one of Minette's twitching legs sticking out. "Uh... Heh... Sorry about that, Minette." Nadia said, helping her friend out of her predicament. "Guess I shoulda helped you out there, huh?"

"Oh, no, it's fine, Nadia, really... You're a guest, after all." Nadia smiled and hugged her. Minette grinned, but then looked at Harry thoughtfully, before an expression of realization came across her face.

"Nadia, that boy... He's been the talk of the town for the entire time you were off on your...business trip." Nadia looked at her with a raised brow. "People have been trying to help him for a month, but he always ran away... One of my sisters told me how she tried to help him just last week... And then there was a Great White, a hammerhead, a...barracuda..." She realized that, besides her sister, all of the people that had tried to help him would have been terrifying to such a tiny human boy.

Nadia blinked, then chuckled. "Heh... Hard to believe Bruce and his guys are such softies when they look like they could wipe the floor with that Beowulf guy... But hey... He wasn't scared of me. Guess he just likes cats." She said before nuzzling Harry.

"I'd say so." Minette smiled as she looked at the boy who seemed to have fallen asleep in her friend's arms. "Apparently Bruce and the others did what they could to make sure none of the jerks who stalk the streets hurt him. Apparently there was this one wolf, Kano... or Lobo? It doesn't matter... Apparently he was seen following the kid at one point." Nadia's hair, ears and tail seemed to stand on edge as her muscles tightened without warning. She knew what Minette was getting at.

"Did...he didn't..." she began, genuinely concerned.

"No, no. He didn't." Minette shook her head. "From what my sister told me, Bruce and the others saw him and uh... 'Talked with him'." She said the last part with air quotes.

"How'd that go?" Nadia asked with a relieved and amused tone, knowing what happened when Bruce and his pals got mad.

"Well, if he's lucky, he'll be out of the body cast in say... three years."

Nadia chuckled and patted the sleeping boy's back. "Heh... I'll have to thank those guys next time I see them..." Minette smiled warmly.

"Hmm... Poor little thing needs some food in his tummy... I'll give you some leftover seafood chowder for the road, Nadia, just give me a sec..."

Minette left the room, and Nadia decided to look through the bag of clothes so she could change Harry. Her eyes widened when she got to a pair of blue footed pajamas, with padding inside so that the wearer would be extra comfy...and extra nice to cuddle with. "Oh yeah... He is totally wearing these..."

Harry slowly stirred from his nap, his eyes snapping open and he looked around in a panic. "Hey, Harry!" Nadia said reassuringly. "You're okay! Your with me!" Harry looked around, confusion clear on his face, until he looked up at Nadia and seemed to relax.

"Miss Fortune?" He said.

"Hi kitten." Nadia smiled. "Aww, it's okay... You're safe."

Nadia leaned down and gathered him in her arms, holding him close against her bust as she ran her fingers through his dark, messy hair. She gave the boy a small look-over and took in all the small details that made him adorable. Tiny little size... Shy personality... Sweet little face with beautiful big green eyes... Yep. She was smitten with this kitten.

Did she care what anyone thought? Nope! Well, unless they agreed with her on this like Minette did, but that was a different case. "Are you cozy, kitten?" She asked playfully.

"Yes, Miss Fortune." Harry replied, clearly enjoying the warmth.

"You're a polite little squirt, aren't you?" She smiled.

Nadia looked over at the pajamas she'd been planning on putting him in and grinned. "All right, kiddo... Let's get ya properly dressed up... Heh... I'm only gonna feed ya and put you to bed when we get back to my place, so those pajamas oughta do." Harry nodded in affirmation and made no fuss as Nadia removed his ragged oversized shirt and pulled the footed pajamas onto his tiny, frail body. When she finished, she wore a very shark-like grin at the sight. "Sorry, kid, gonna have to get a little visit from the cuddle monster for being too cute."

Harry let out a somewhat nervous whimper, but once he was pulled closer, he let out a happy coo and tired to snuggle into the embrace. 'Agh... He's so cute!' Nadia mentally cooed, looking down at the tiny boy trying to get as close as he could, while still being wrapped up in a blanket.

"Miss Fortune?"

"What's up, kiddo?" She asked.

"Are you a cat?"

Nadia blinked at that, then chuckled softly. "Yeah, I guess you could say that." She tapped her ears, then swished her tail. "See, I only have the ears and tail. I'm actually a feral."

Harry tilted his head. "A...A feral...?" He asked curiously. Nadia laughed and nuzzled his cheek gently.

"Ferals are people that have animal features, kit. There's all kinds. Wolves, cows, pigs...You name it. And there's fish people too. Those are Dagonians."

"Oh. Okay..." Harry blinked, trying to understand. Nadia laughed and pressed her forehead to his. He was so cute...

"Don't worry about it, squirt." She said, patting his head. Harry smiled slightly up at her, his frightened shell slowly starting to crack. That made Nadia's heart warm, knowing that there was still a ways to go, but she'd help him in any way she could. "Miss Minette's bringing something to eat, so just stay comfy."

Minette stepped out of the kitchen, holding a large thermos and a duffel bag. "Okay, the chowder is in the thermos, and you can use the bag to carry..." She froze when she saw Harry in the pajamas. "...Awwww..." Minette cooed. "He's soooo cuuuute..." Harry blushed and buried his face into Nadia's shoulder, causing the feline woman to chuckle.

"Yeah..." She rubbed his back for several seconds...before she noticed something... "M-Minette... These are baby clothes..." Minette blinked.

"Wait... I thought he was a baby..." Nadia shook her head.

"Minette... Harry's five years old... But these baby clothes are a perfect fit... Oh my God... He's so underfed he can literally wear baby clothes!"

"Mmsowry..." Harry mumbled, tensing up, afraid he had done something wrong.

"Don't worry, kiddo, we'll get some meat on your widdle bones!" Nadia cooed, hiding her fury. She picked a coat from one of the shopping bags and bundled Harry in it, making sure he was extra cozy. The little kid was too frail, and Nadia was concerned that if he wasn't warm enough he could get even more sick.

"Okay, my little sicko..." Nadia placed everything Minette had bought in the bag, then carefully slung it over her shoulder and turned to the boy with a grin before gathering him into her arms. "Let's go home now..."

"H-Home..." Harry said softly, making Nadia smirk and kiss his cheek gently.

"That's right, sweetie... Time to go home... Your new home..."

Harry looked up with wide eyes and smiled, leaning into Nadia's embrace. "Thanks Minette, I'll see you later." Nadia said thankfulyl.

"Thank you Miss Minettee." Harry said, trying his best to pronounce Minette's name. Minette gave a girlish squeal of delight and covered her mouth with her hand, laughing slightly.

"You're more than welcome, cutie pie!" Minette cooed in response.

Nadia chuckled softly and turned to Minette with a wave before stepping out into the cold, snowy streets, wincing ever so slighly as the frigid wind blasted her bare skin. "Geez, this temperature's ridiculous..." She muttered. "How ya feeling, buddy?" She looked down at Harry, who was leaning contently against her breast, wrapped up in excessive layers, from the pajamas to the winter clothes to a blanket to her own trenchcoat.

Nadia chuckled softly and kissed his cheeks before falling deep into thought. Who could have done this to him? Sure, the Dagonians of Little Innsmouth were a bit suspicious of humans due to the Medicis, but that didn't mean anyone in this town was about to harm a little boy... Hell, even the Medicis themselves would probably have groomed him into one of their guys rather than outright torture him. And with the way the laws in the kingdom cracked down on child abusers... 'Must be someone out of town...' She thought.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she noticed the stares she was getting from passersby, some shocked at her much too revealing outfit for the weather, some noticing she was carrying a little boy and smiling warmly, and some giving rather... appreciative looks to some of her best features. Nadia chuckled softly at that last one. Ah, the joys of being the attractive town hero...

Harry, for his part, wasn't paying attention to any of the curious or relieved looks he got from people who had seen him on the street over the past little bit. He was still trying to process why Miss Fortune was so kind to him. He was a freak, he knew that much... and she wasn't his mommy... but... maybe she didn't think he was a freak? He'd have to ask her later. Right now, he was terrified of saying or doing anything that would anger her. Little did Harry know, angering Nadia would be next to impossible.

'Well, the little guy is warm at least.' Nadia thought as she kept walking, occasionally stealing a glance at Harry, wrapped up in her arms. 'That's good. And Minette's healing water really seemed to help... but still. How did he get so battered?' Nadia knew she was going to keep him. He was so adorable and tiny, she felt like she had to be the one to raise him. She assumed (correctly) she already had a bond from when she saved his life.

She gave the little boy a soft smile before eventually, she reached her house. It was basically a gift from the town for being their hero. Nothing too fancy, pretty small, but it was a very cozy little place. She entered her home and sighed in relief before shaking her head slightly to get the snow out of her hair. It was coming down really hard now, She stepped into her kitchen and pulled out a small bowl, plus one for herself, then poured some clam chowder into both bowls. "Let's get you fed. Then I'll take ya upstairs and tuck you in for a nap."

Sitting on a chair, she held Harry in one arm, tucking him into the crook of her arm and smiled down at him. "Open up, honey!" She grinned. Harry seemed like he wanted to say something, and Nadia spoke up: "What's wrong, kiddo? Cat go your tongue?"

"I... I can't..." Harry mumbled.

"Can't what? Are you allergic to clams?" Nadia asked.

"I...I'm not really allowed to...to eat..." Nadia's eyes widened at that. Now it was becoming very, very clear to her just what this boy had been through.

"Oh kit... Your old family starved you...didn't they...?" She said softly. Harry looked down slowly, and Nadia quickly changed the subject. "Well you're with me now. You're in my house, under my rules. And my rules state, very clearly, cute little boys must eat three meals a day at the very least." She said with a toothy grin.

Harry looked down once again, and Nadia guessed what he was thinking. "Aw, you don't think you're cute?" Kissing him on the forehead, she said: "Well, I think you are, and I know you're hungry." Harry wanted to protest, but he was hungry, and he wanted to make Miss Nadia happy, so he nodded.

"Atta boy, now open up..." Harry obediently opened his mouth wide and Nadia put the spoon in his mouth, watching his face light up at the taste. "Heh... Yeah, Yu-Wan's the real cook at the restaurant, but Minette's no slouch in the kitchen. Even if she does make a huge mess when she cooks."

"It's better than what I make..." Harry mumbled, and Nadia's ears perked up at that, mostly in shock though.

"Oh, you like to cook too?" She asked in a friendly tone, trying to hide the shock in her tone.

"Mmhmm..." Harry nodded, enjoying the chowder.

"Well, I bet you'd be great at it."

Harry gave her a small smile, feeling a bit better at her encouragement. Grinning broadly, she fed him the rest of the chowder, until the bowl was completely empty."Well whattya know, you ate the whole thing!" Nadia said with a smirk. "Now there's a good kid." She picked Harry up and hugged him against her shoulder. "All right, kitten... Time for you to take a nap. You're totally exhausted..."

"I'm not tir.." Harry tried to insist, only to let out a tiny yawn and let the tiredness overtake him. Nadia chuckled. He was so cute... Entering her room, she paused when she remembered that her room was kind of a mess. She had made the mental note of 'I'll clean it when I get back', before she left... and now she was taking care of a little kid. Oh well, maybe now she'd actually have a reason to try and keep her room clean. Regardless, she made her way over to her bed and tucked Harry in, pulling the thick warm blanket up to his chin and smiling as he seemed to sink into the blanket.

She leaned down and gave him a kiss before taking a kneeling position and gently rubbing the top of his head, much like one would do for a kitten. She leaned forward and whispered softly in his ear. "Just go to sleep now, sweetie... I'll be up to check on you every now and then, okay?"

Harry let out a soft hum of acknowledgement and snuggled into the blankets closer. The exhausted little boy mumbled "Love you...ms...fortune..." before drifting off into a deep slumber.

Nadia felt her heart melt at those words. She smiled and patted his tiny head before quietly leaving the room, but remembering to keep the door open enough to let some light in so she could also keep an eye on Harry. She sat down and returned to her clam chowder. She loved Minette's cooking.

After finishing her own lunch, she took a seat in front of the TV and turned it on, deciding to kill a little bit of time. After watching for a few minutes, she would go up and check on Harry. He seemed to sleep soundly for about an hour... But then, she heard him screaming and yelling in his sleep. Eyes wide, she rushed upstairs to check on the little boy. He was thrashing wildly and screaming in raw terror. Nadia rushed to his side and put a hand to his forehead, feeling her stomach clench at how warm he felt.

She had to bring down this fever first and foremost. Hurriedly, she rushed downstairs and filled up a bucket of cold water, then grabbed a rag. Rushing upstairs, Nadia snatched Harry up and hugged him tight, pressing the cloth as firmly against his forehead as she could without hurting him. Harry was jolted from his slumber, but the nightmare wasn't over. Now he had gone from a simple nightmare to a fever induced hallucination. "NO! PLEASE NO! PLEASE DON'T HURT ME, PLEASE! MISS FORTUNE, HELP! MISS FORTUNE! MISS FORTUNE, PLEASE, HELP!"

"Kitten! Harry! Please wake up!" She exclaimed, not knowing that he was seeing things. Harry continued thrashing about violently, trying to escape, to run... Finally, Nadia pulled his head close to her chest and gave him a long kiss on the head.

"M..Miss Nadia?! Where are you!?" Harry whimpered, still not seeing things clearly. He looked around for the kind cat woman, and suddenly felt himself being kissed again.

"I'm here, honey. I'm right here..." She sighed gently, her heart aching for the little guy. It was clear there was a lot he hadn't been telling her, and the poor thing had been going through a lot. She was determined, she was going to help him.

Slowly, the hallucination faded away, and Harry looked up to see Nadia looking down at him with pure, unadulterated worry written all over her features. "Hey, hun... You okay now...? The scary stuff gone?" She asked gently. Harry sniffled slightly, then buried his face into her chest and whimpered softly. "Awww... Don't cry, kitten, it's okay..." Nadia cooed. "I'm right here, okay? Nothing's gonna getcha while Miss Fortune's here to keep you safe."

It took Harry a few minutes, but finally he managed to stop whimpering. He was still shaking, and was having trouble pulling himself away from Nadia, but the young woman was just fine with that. It was clear right now he needed comforting affection, and she was going to give it to him. Every now and then, she'd nuzzle the top of his head or give him a quick kiss to try and soothe him. After about an hour, Harry was now curled up against Nadia's tummy, timidly looking up at her, afraid he had done something wrong.

Nadia just smiled sadly at him before calmly walking out the bedroom door, making her way downstairs to the kitchen. "Hey, kit... I know being sick's no fun... Those fever dreams are no joke. Buuut, there is one upside to it." Harry looked at her in confusion, and she gave him a grin before pulling the freezer open. "When you're sick, ya get to have ice cream!" She announced. Harry's eyes widened. He'd seen Dudley eating this stuff by the carton, but of course he'd never been allowed to have any. "Okay, let's eat some ice cream, and you can tell me all about your bad dream."

Harry was nervous. He didn't know if he could talk about his dream... He was told he couldn't, and that he'd be hurt if he ever did... but Miss Nadia was so nice! Maybe she wouldn't hurt him. Harry leaned into Nadia's embrace as she carried him back into the kitchen. She sat him on the counter and smiled warmly at him. He felt safe around her.

He took a deep breath, and as Nadia put a bowl of ice cream in front of him, he spoke softly. "There... There was a man... A really big, mad man with a big moustache... He looked like a walrus, but..." He shivered. "He changed... He turned all red and his eyes turned yellow and... and there were horns on his head, and he... He..." The boy shuddered. "He said he was gonna beat me, and that I couldn't tell you or he'd kill me..."

"Aww... Kitten..." Nadia sighed, her ears drooping. She gently rubbed his cheek. "It's alright, I'll protect you. What happened next?"

"Uh... He... he grabbed me, and he bit me... Then he kept clawing at me, and things got really hot..." Nadia frowned deeply, nodding to signal she understood.

"And he was...slamming me into the wall, and he... he threw me, and started kicking me... And it... It hurt... It hurt so much, it hurt, it hurt, it hurt..."

Nadia pulled him into her arms and hugged him tight, nuzzling the top of his head. "Say no more, kit, I got it... So you had a bad dream that ya got beat up, huh?" Harry sniffled softly and nodded his head. Nadia gave him a sad smile. "Okay... Well, why don't you go ahead and eat your ice cream? I'll even let ya have seconds when you're done."

Harry looked down at the bowl, and finally took a timid bite of the ice cream. His eyes widened somewhat, and he seemed to be in shock for a moment, then he hungrily dove into the bowl, Nadia giggled as she watched Harry eat with absolute joy. After a few minutes, he looked up with his face covered in ice cream. "Well, I think you enjoyed it." She grinned.

She scooped some more into the bowl and watched with a grin as he ate it. Chuckling, she put the carton back in the freezer, and when he'd finished, she took the bowl and threw it in the sink. Nadia stepped up and gently picked Harry up, hugging him close to her bosom and gently patting his back. She watched him snuggle in contently and smiled. "Okay, kit... Ya had a nasty dream when I left ya to sleep alone... So hey... who knows? Maybe you'll sleep a lot better in my arms. Whattya say?"

"Thank you Miss Nadia..." Harry mumbled, snuggling into what he believed was a safe place to be. Nadia grinned and kissed the top of his tiny head.

"No problem little guy, now you have a good sleep, I'll make sure nothing scary comes your way." Nadia didn't know it now, but those simple words meant more to Harry than just about anything he had ever had or heard in his life. To him, that promise of protection let him sleep, and while he was still scared, he was beginning to trust Nadia more and more.

Nadia smiled softly and leaned back in her seat. She began to hum softly, but the sound quickly morphed into a soft purr, which reminded Harry of when he played with the kitties at Miss Figg's house. The soothing sound of his new caregiver's purrs slowly lulled Harry back to sleep. Nodding off, he snuggled closer into the feline feral and began snoring softly. Nadia smiled warmly, her ear twitching and her tail swishing about merrily. Then, she let out a very catlike yawn. "Ugh... Y'know, a little catnap sounds pretty good right about now..." Rising to her feet, she made her way upstairs.

Heading back into her room, she kicked some of the discarded clothes to the side and set Harry on her bed. She looked around, then closed the blinds somewhat, to give the room a little more shade. Getting into her bed, she pulled Harry underneath the blankets with her and close to her chest. "See you soon, kitten." She smiled, kissing his head one last time before letting herself drift off to sleep, purring contently as she napped.

However, mere moments before drifting off into sleep, Harry said something, very soft, like the coo of a dove. "Mama..." He mumbled out softly.

Nadia's eyes snapped open, and her ears shot up rigidly. She gave the boy a stunned look. "M-Mama... Mama...? Me...?" She breathed out. She had no idea how to respond to that one little word. She didn't think she had any interest in being a mother... But... Something about the idea was bringing a warmth to the forefront she didn't even know existed.

Well...He was asleep. He didn't even know what he was saying out loud... Nothing was official quite yet...

She decided to simply keep him warm and safe. She'd figure out if she was a mother later on. Kissing him one last time, she let herself slowly drift off, but one thought did stick in her mind. "Mama Fortune... I like it." She smiled, nuzzling the top of Harry's head as sleep overtook the pair. For the next few hours, Nadia slept comfortably as usual, but Harry, for the first time in forever, didn't have any bad dreams.

In fact, the soft sound of Nadia's purring, as well as the way her body curled around him, found their way into his dreams, making them very sweet indeed. He dreamed he was cuddled up with a giant kitty, who was purring and periodically nuzzling his tiny head. The boy smiled and nuzzled further into the cat's soft fur. Both woman and child slept peacefully, smiling warmly in each other's embrace.

A few hours later, Nadia yawned loudly, stretching out as she looked around, scratching behind her hear as she woke up. She felt something next to her and blinked in surprise, then looked down, then smiled when she saw the sleeping boy. "Daw... he looks even cuter when he's asleep..." Nadia cooed, resting her head against his for a moment, then sat against the headboard, pulling Harry close.

She leaned down to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before hopping out of bed, landing on all fours on the floor. With a feline yawn, she arched her back to wake herself up, then rose to her feet. Looking over at Harry, she smiled softly and gathered him in her arms, cradling him like a newborn and rocking him back and forth gently. Smiling tenderly down at the boy, she leaned her head down slightly and gently pressed her nose against his. "Poor little guy... He's totally exhausted..."

Harry cooed softly in his sleep and squirmed for a moment, then settled back down and let out a tiny sigh, before peacefully breathing in his sleep. Nadia frowned as she gently traced his ribs though the clothes he was wearing. He hadn't eaten in so long, that much was clear, but what had caused this to begin with? Minette had claimed people had seen him for over a month, but what was he doing on his own?

Was he orphaned? Perhaps his family had been killed somehow while on vacation... Not a lot of humans came to Little Innsmouth, after all. Or maybe... Maybe he was abandoned... Intentionally left all alone on the streets to fend fo himself... Her eyes narrowed into slits and she tightened her hold on Harry. That made too much sense. The injuries... The malnourishment... The fear, the panic, the crippling shyness... It was all beaten into him...

That was a terrifying thought, and a thought that Nadia was tragically having trouble finding a counter or explanation to. She didn't want to believe that the little guy was so badly abused... but she had a bad feeling in her gut that sooner or later, she'd find out the truth. So she decided to enjoy her time when he was peacefully sleeping in her arms.

She sat down on the couch and grabbed the remote with her tail, using it to turn on the weather channel to see how bad the winter was gonna be. Snow, snow and more snow, all in below zero temperatures. Nadia winced and looked down at the sleeping boy in her arms, smiling sadly. "I am SO glad I got you off the streets..." She whispered softly. "If those dogs didn't do you in, the cold totally would have..." She winced sadly at the mere thought, how sheer dumb luck had been the deciding factor in Harry still being alive. If she hadn't happened to be in the area...

She cleared her head, biting her lip. For once in her life, dumb luck was to thank for helping her find the little kitten in her arms. She sighed and leaned back, a foot rest swinging out from underneath her as she reclined on her couch, tucking Harry into the nook of her arm. She tickled his chin and looked back to the news. It seemed like the duo may be spending a good amount of time together, what with all the snow.

And she was just okay with that... She gave Harry a tender gaze and nuzzled his cheek gently. "I'll protect you, Harry... I'll keep you safe, or die trying..."And as the little boy smiled in his sleep, her face lit up with joy.


	2. Chapter 2

Nadia aimlessly flipped through channels for something to watch, when she felt stirring in her arms. She smiled at Harry. "Wakey, wakey, cats and eggies. Heh..."

Harry slowly and groggily tried to wake up. He was weak and still exhausted... Usually when he woke up and someone was nearby, he'd panic, but... there was something about the person holding him that was familiar. "Hiya kitten." Nadia grinned, trying not to laugh at how cute he looked while losing a fight to sleep.

He looked up at her, and recognition graced his features. "M-Miss Fortune..." He said softly. Nadia nuzzled him gently and smiled warmly.

"Ya have a good sleep, buddy?" She asked gently. Harry rubbed his eyes sleepily and let out a cute little yawn.

"Y-You kept the scary dreams away... Thank you, Miss Nadia..."

"No problem kitten." She smiled. "It's still really cold out, so how about I put on the fireplace and make you some hot chocolate?"

"You...you don't have to..." Harry stammered.

"But what if I want to?" Nadia asked playfully, her eyes widening in delight as she saw Harry trying to process the question. He seemed so bewildered... it was too cute!

Gently, she set the little bundle of cuteness down on the couch and rubbed his head. "You just wait right here. I'll go getcha some hot chocolate. Trust me, it's good stuff."

She grabbed the TV remote and changed the channel to something a child would like, eventually coming across a network that played little kiddy cartoons. Looking at Harry, she saw him gazing intently at the cartoons and beamed before heading off to make the hot chocolate. After pouring the mix into the milk, stirring gently and microwaving it, she decided to toss in a bit of whipped cream and chocolate sauce, as well as some marshmallows.

When she returned, she saw Harry's face light up when he saw her. She smiled warmly in response and set the mug down on the coffee table and pulled Harry onto her lap. She giggled and kissed his head, making him blush. "Okay kitten, if this is too hot, let me know." She said sweetly, handing Harry the mug. The boy looked in wonder at at the mug before looking up at her.

"This is for me?" He asked in his tiny voice.

Nadia gave him a toothy grin. "Do I have cat ears? Of course it's for you, kit. I did say I was gonna make it for you, didn't I?" She replied, playfully messing up his hair.

The little boy looked at the drink and almost teared up. "Thank you..." Harry took a sip of the drink, and his face lit up so much it reminded Nadia she needed to set up her christmas tree.

"Heh... Pretty good, right? My hot chocolate's a pretty HOT topic with my friend group."

Harry looked up, confused by the pun, and with his mouth covered in whipped cream. Nadia laughed softly as she patted his head. The tiny boy returned to the drink, taking timid sips, savouring every bit of it. Nadia was content to run her fingers through his now much cleaner hair.

When he finished the hot chocolate, Nadia gently took the mug with her tail and set it down on the coffee table. "There ya go, a little warmth in your tummy." Harry hummed in content, and Nadia gently turned him around and hugged him up to her breast, gently rubbing the back of his head in a soothing manner. Then she began to very, very delicately scratch the little boy's back, taking great care not to accidentally cut him with her claws.

Harry mumbled something happily, leaning into Nadia's hold. He didn't seem sleepy, but he just wanted to be close to Nadia. The cat woman gently pulled a blanket over the pair, and continued scratching his back. "Hm... Harry, where are you from?" Nadia finally asked.

"Privet Drive..." Harry mumbled before coughing. Nadia looked thoughtful, trying to put a location to the name, but coming up short no matter how hard she tried.

"Privet Drive... Privet Drive..." She muttered softly. "I don't know any Privet Drive..." She looked down at Harry, head tilted to the side and frowning softly. "Where's Privet Drive?"

"Um... England..." Nadia nodded her head. England... England was very far away from here. How in the world did he get to this place?

"Okay..." Nadia nodded. "Did you like England? I haven't been there before."

"Oh uh... It... It... It was nice..." Harry mumbled. "It rained a lot, and there were a lot of clouds... but I liked it." Nadia nodded once again, beginning to try and figure out how to word her next few questions. She didn't want to push him too hard, but she wanted to understand why he was so terrified.

"Okay, kit... So, did ya have a nice house?" She asked. Harry nodded. "Good, good... Who'd you live with?"

"M-My aunt and uncle...and my cousin..." All right, she was making progress.

"All right... How'd you end up all the way here in Little Innsmouth?"

Harry looked down, not wanting to answer. Nadia's ears drooped and she bit her lip, having a very bad feeling about this. "Car..." Was all Harry finally said. Nadia gently lifted his chin up so he was looking into her eyes.

"And... where's your family now?" She quietly asked, dreading the answer she was almost certain she would get.

Harry looked down slowly and began to tremble slightly. "Um...P-Probably back home..." He said softly. Nadia felt a twinge of rage in her heart.

"...Harry... Sweetie... Do you think that your family...y'know...abandoned you...?" She asked softly. Harry hesitated before he nodded his head slowly.

"They... they did..." He whispered. Nadia sighed and pulled him close, resting her head against his chest. She let out what seemed like a sad groan and rubbed his back.

"Do you know why they might've?" Nadia asked, her tone unusually calm. "I don't know how or why anyone would ever abandon such a little cutie like you..."

"I'm not cute... Imma freak..." Harry mumbled in response.

Nadia blinked at that, then picked Harry up beneath his armpits and held him at arms length, giving him an inspecting look. Harry blinked. "M-Miss Fortune...?" He asked softly. Nadia looked at him with a soft grunt of acknowledgement. "Wh-What are you d-doing...?" He asked timidly.

"Well, I'm looking for anything freaky about ya. And honestly, kit, I'm comin' up pretty short here. See, when I look at you, I don't see anything freaky. I see a cute kid that didn't deserve to be thrown away like yesterday's garbage."

"But... I'm not normal..." Harry insisted. His sincerity caused Nadia to let a slight laugh out.

"Sure ya are!" She replied. "You're a cute little guy! There's nothing freaky about you as far as I can see." Nadia frowned when she saw Harry want to say something, but remained silent.

She gently pressed her forehead against his own and looked him in the eyes. "Harry... Listen... There's nothing wrong with you. Anyone who tells you there is? They're sick in the head. You're a kid. Just a normal, average kid."

"But... But I do weird stuff...! I... I make things change colour...! I make things float, I teleport, I...I...I..." Nadia gently put her index finger over his lip.

"...Have cool powers." She finished gently. "Just because you can do neat tricks doesn't make you a freak. It makes you special and talented."

"I guess..." Harry mumbled, still looking down at the ground. Nadia pulled Harry close once again and rested his head against her breasts, rubbing his back.

"Hey, I think they're cool." Nadia smiled down at him. "But did your family not like them?" Harry now bit his lip, knowing he wasn't ever supposed to talk about what had been done to him, but his silence was all Nadia needed to hear (or not hear) to get a better idea of what happened to him.

She tightened her hold on the boy and began to purr softly to make him feel safe and comfy. When she felt him snuggle in, she grinned, knowing she was doing it right. "I dunno what you've been through, kitten... But don't feel pressured into having to tell me, all right? You can talk about it when you're good and ready." She grinned at the boy, who was wrapped up in blankets with only his little face visible, before stretching out her ligaments to grab her small camera. "Now lemme just get a picture of ya. You look like the world's cutest little bagworm."

Harry tilted his head in confusion, and Nadia snapped a picture before gently laughing at his bewildered face. "So cute!" She cooed, kissing his head once again. She paused, looking around, trying to figure out what to do next, but eventually decided she wanted to stay here and snuggle with Harry for a little bit longer.

Grabbing the remote, she flipped on the TV and changed through the channels, searching for something Harry could enjoy watching, before settling on a station that played little kiddy shows. Harry seemed entranced by the shows, and Nadia smirked in amusement at his reactions, glad to see the boy was happy. She wrapped her arms around his tummy and rested her chin on his head. This was rather nice. He was like having a walking, talking stuffed animal. ...Well, maybe not so much walking yet, since she'd literally carried him everywhere, but hey... She just liked holding him.

Harry still believed he was in a dream. He had been found by a pretty angel, given food, hugs and kisses, kept warm, she HAD to be an angel! He nuzzled closer as much as he could and let out another tiny yawn, his face one of contentment.

"Heh, you're just a cuddly little kitten, aren't you?" Nadia chuckled softly.

The two of them spent more time on the couch when Nadia heard another shriek from outside. She blinked, then turned to Harry with a grin. "I think Minette came over for a visit." She chuckled. "I'll be right back, kit. Better go open the door for her..." Setting Harry down, she approached the front door and pulled it open. There was a snowman outside her door. However, rather than a small snowball for the head, Minette's lower half of body was sticking out of the middle snowball, a top hat and coal eyes decorating her butt. Nadia blinked in surprise before donning a very sharklike grin and reaching for her camera. She didn't know how this happened, all she knew was that this was one for the scrapbook.

Minette seemed to know what her friend was doing, and began thrashing about to try and escape, but to no avail. Nadia got multiple pictures before setting to pulling her friend out. "Delete them." Minette said fatly, spitting some snow out from her mouth.

"Delete what?" Nadia asked with a laugh.

"Ugh... I don't even know how that happened..." Minette sighed, shaking her head. "How's the little baby doing?"

Nadia helped her friend inside with a small smile. "A lot better... Had a nasty fever dream earlier, but I managed to get him through that."

Minette bit her lip sadly before holding up the small bag she brought with her. "You forgot one of the bags, Nadia..." The cat woman blinked.

"Wait, you came all the way out here in the middle of a snowstorm just to deliver this?" Minette blushed slightly before nodding her head.

"Yes... I just...wanna do everything I can to help that poor thing... I'm his auntie...aren't I...?" She looked at Nadia for affirmation and she grinned.

"Of course you are, Minette. Come see him. He's in the living room." The feral guided her friend to where Harry was sitting. "Hey kitten! We got company!"

Harry looked over and Minette bowed politely. "Hi, sweetie... I'm Minette. What's your name?"

"Uh, I'm... I'm Harry." Harry timidly waved, making Minette grin widely and giggle.

"Daw! He's so cute!" She cooed. She and Nadia made their way over to the couch and sat next to him, Minette gasped slightly when she saw the little onesie he was in and her heart seemed to melt into a gooey mess. She gently picked Harry up and held him on her lap, cooing down at him. Harry did seem nervous, but also seemed to be willing to give Minette a chance. "I'm happy to see you feeling better, little guy." Minette smiled.

Nadia chuckled softly and took a seat, sitting back to observe how her best friend and new charge interacted. She knew it would go well. Minette was an absolute sweetheart. Minette gently adjusted her hold so she was holding him up against her shoulder. She closed her eyes and smiled warmly as she gently rubbed his back. Harry blinked. He wasn't expecting to be held like this by someone that wasn't Miss Nadia... But he liked it just as much. Slowly, he snuggled in closer, causing Minette to giggle.

"I can see why Nadia thinks you're so cute." Minette grinned. "You're just a little cuddle bug!" Harry blushed at the compliments, trying to hide his embarrassment in Minette's shoulder. However, this didn't go unnoticed by the two women. Harry began to settle down a little more. He remembered that Miss Minette had made that really yummy clam meal he had earlier, and she seemed as nice as Miss Fortune. While he wouldn't ever admit this, he liked Miss Fortune just a little bit more, he though Miss Minette was very kind as well.

He let a small smile come across his face and closed his eyes slowly. "Th-Thank you, Miss Minette... For... For everything..." He said quietly.

Minette beamed and nuzzled his face gently. "You're welcome, cutie." She cooed. "I sure hope you're enjoying everything..." Meanwhile, Nadia was looking through the shopping bags.

"Ooooh, what do we have here?" She said as she pulled out a trio of plush toys consisting of a simple teddy bear, a kitten, and a cartoony shark.

Harry seemed bewildered by them, and it was depressing that he didn't seem to realize they were for him. "They're for you hon." Nadia finally explained gently.

"F..for me? Why?" Harry asked, clearly confused.

"Because a little kitten like you needs something to play with, silly!" Nadia smiled down at Harry.

"But I don't deserve them." Harry insisted.

Minette pouted slightly. "Awww, Harry, pleeeease?" She asked softly. "I bought them just for you. C'mon, please enjoy them? It would make me VERY happy." Harry blinked up at her, then looked over at Nadia, who grinned and moved the plushies closer to him. He hesitated before slowly picking up the bear and hugging it close, an expression of content forming on his face.

"I...I have a teddy again... I...I used to have a teddy... But my... But... Someone burned him..."

The two women blinked in shock before looking from one another then back to Harry before the two wrapped him in a hug, trying to comfort him. Harry was surprised by the sudden hug. "Umm..." Harry mumbled, looking up at the two. "M'swoory..."

"No hun, don't be sorry..." Nadia said quietly, gently rubbing his back.

"Oh my gosh, someone took away your toy and burned it...?" Minette breathed. "That's horrible... You poor little thing..." She tightened her hold on him. Nadia was glaring at the floor, her fists clenched in anger. Somebody had burned Harry's old teddy bear, and her instincts were screaming at her 'his family did it.'

Harry still seemed confused, but eventually nuzzled in-between the two women. He felt like crying... He really wanted to... But at the same time, he was enjoying the women's embrace. While the two women were trying to withhold tears, they also found his tiny hug he was trying to give them adorable. "It's alright kit, you're safe now..." Nadia whispered.

Minette looked up at Nadia with a sad smile, then handed Harry back over to her. "Here... I think he wants you right now." Nadia blinked, then took the boy back.

She hugged him close and rubbed his back gently to offer her comfort. "It's gonna be okay, hun... You're safe now... I gotcha..." She whispered.

Harry smiled up gently at Nadia. The cat woman smiled, kissing his forehead again before resting his head against her chest. Nadia sighed and patted his back, trying to comfort him. "It's alright, you're safe now." Nadia smiled. "You're gonna stay here with me, and I'm gonna keep you safe."

She nuzzled the top of his head with a sad smile. "And if I ever meet the one who burned your bear... I'll avenge him." She said with a wink.

Harry hugged her tightly when he heard those words of reassurance. "Thank you, Miss Fortune..." He said softly. Nadia rubbed his head and purred softly.

"Aww! That's so cute!" Minette cooed, smiling at the scene. Nadia chuckled and playfully messed up Harry's black hair.

"The little tyke's too cute for his own good, I gotta admit." Nadia said playfully.

"Uh..I.. I can try and stop..." Harry mumbled, afraid he was doing something wrong. His sincerity made Nadia laugh a bit harder than she probably should've.

"Don't worry kiddo! It's just an expression!" Nadia laughed. "Just keep being you!"

Harry blinked, then smiled softly and snuggled in closer. Nadia hugged him closer, chuckling softly. She held him for about thirty minutes before looking down at him. "Hey, kit... Why don't ya go get to know Miss Minette a little more, huh?" She suggested before passing the little boy over to her friend. Minette blinked before smiling warmly and accepting Harry into her arms, gently and carefully grabbing him. He squeaked cutely and she giggled softly.

"Hi cutie." She cooed, smiling down at him.

"Hi Miss Minnow..." Harry mumbled, still trying to get her name correct. "Um... Thank you for the food, it was really yummy."

"I'm glad you liked it! I'll be sure to make you some more."

She hugged him against her shoulder and rubbed his back gently. "You're such a sweet little boy..." She cooed. "Just the cutest widdle thing... Soooo tiny..." Nadia smiled softly at the scene, seeing what Minette was trying to do. She was building up his confidence, trying to help him feel good about himself... Minette was cooing over Harry and giggling softly at his little reactions. Honestly, if Nadia hadn't decided to keep him, she absolutely would have... She gave the boy a kiss on the cheek.

Harry blushed, but liked Miss Minette's comforting presence. He snuggled up against her and let a timid smile form on his face. Minette, for her part, knew that something was usually had so much more energy... But then again, not many kids Harry's age could fit into baby clothing. She knew he was abused, but there was something else... Oh well, she'd comfort him any way she could!

She gently rocked the boy in her arms, smiling and giggling as she felt him snuggle up. She loved being an aunt. Being able to call this sweet boy family... Nadia was beaming with joy at the scene before her. It warmed her heart that Harry and Minette seemed to be bonding well. Not that it was a surprise. Minette was just naturally a sweetheart. After about fifteen minutes, Minette noticed that Harry had gone remarkably still. Looking down at him, she saw that he had fallen asleep in her arms, innocently sucking his thumb.

She repressed a delighted squeal as she nuzzled the top of his tiny head, Harry squirmed for a moment, then quickly snuggled back down, continuing to sleep peacefully. "He's so precious..." Minette whispered. "I love him!"

Nadia chuckled and reclined on the couch. "Yeah, he's something special all right. Just an awesome little guy..." She looked up with a small frown. Minette noticed and tilted her head. Nadia looked up at her. "Minette... I'm pretty sure the little guy's been abused by his own family... He's said some stuff that makes me pretty suspicious..."

"I mean... I hate to say so, but that makes a lot of sense..." Minette mumbled sadly, looking down at the sleeping boy in her arms. "He's so tiny, he's terrified of everything, it makes sense. My only question is-"

"Why?" Nadia cut her friend off, finishing her thought. "I know, and I want the answer. But I don't want to ask him and make things worse."

Minette bit her lip and nodded sadly, tightening her hold on the boy. "Poor little thing... It just doesn't make sense that anyone could hurt this sweet little face..."

Nadia sighed and shook her head. "Yeah, well, you're lucky it doesn't make sense to you... Means you've never had to see the darker sides of the world..." Minette looked at her with a soft frown. "There's awful people out there, Minette... You know that... But you don't know firsthand how awful people can be..." Nadia said forlornly.

"I...I think I know." Minette finally got out. "Humans tend to hate my people. They see us as freaks. Sure, it's nothing like what little sleepyhead has gone through, but I do get it, at least, I kinda do..." Harry seemed to sense Minette's sadness and unconsciously snuggled closer to her tummy, letting out another tiny yawn as he kept sleeping. The gesture did bring a small smile to the women's faces.

Minette stroked his back gently and looked up at Nadia. "So um... The storm's gotten pretty bad, Nadia... Is it okay if I stay here until it clears up...?"

Nadia smiled and gave her best friend a thumbs up. "You know there's always a place here for you, Minette." Then her expression turned playful. "Besides, wouldn't want a repeat of last time, would we?"

Minette blushed and covered her face. "You mean the time I got covered in snow, and JimBob and Patrick thought I was the abominable snowman?"

"Heh... Yeah. It's a good thing Ripster sniffed ya out before Squidsworth came out and yelled at you all. My ears are still ringing from that time I crash landed in his flower bed."

"I mean, I don't blame him for being annoyed, but... he always seems so cranky." Minette nodded. "I don't know why. It's not like Jim and Pat have ever done anything to hurt him.

"Didn't they try and bury him alive?" Nadia asked, trying to remember one of the things she had been witness too in the past while.

"No. They thought he was dead for some reason, and they were trying to help him move on."

The two girls began to have a small gossip session about their various Dagonian neighbours. From Sebastian starting a successful music career to Jimbe deciding to join a small ragtag pirate group.

"...So my sister started dating Big Bubba a couple months back, and some Medici thug called Mario tried to kidnap her... And she said Bubba literally swallowed him whole, He definitely won daddy's favour that day..."

Nadia shivered slightly. "Yeah, no one messes with Big Bubba... Nothing seems to hurt that guy... Heck, most people can't even get past that creepy Unagi guy that guards the door..." The time she'd inadvertantly wandered too close to the shipwreck that served as Bubba's base and had the massive eel dagonian roar in her face was the only time since getting found out and cut up by Black Dahlia that she had felt raw, mortal terror.

"Truth be told though, I don't think he'd be like that around Harry." Minette said, looking down at the still sleeping boy. "He can be mean... but I don't think he'd hate the little guy, especially with all he's been through."

"I'd be more worried about Harry's reaction." Nadia conceded. "I kind of understand why he was freaked out by Bruce, Gill and the others, but they're not..." She trailed off, trying to think of the right word. "I dunno how to explain it. Monstrous is the wrong word."

"I know what you're getting at though." Minette nodded. "Still, after spending a month on his own in the streets, it's a miracle he'd let anyone get near him like he's let you."

Nadia smiled softly at the sleeping boy and reached over to pat his head. "Well... You wanna know what the first thing he said to me was, after I found him?"

Minette tilted her head to the side curiously, and Nadia grinned broadly at her. "He looked up at me... And he just said...kitty. Simple as that."

Minette blinked, then giggled softly. "Aww... You're right... He is a little cat lover..." She cooed, kissing Harry's cheek softly. "Your cat ears saved the day..."

"He wanted to pet them." Nadia chuckled. "It seemed like he was dreaming while it was happening, it was adorable."

Minette smiled and rubbed Harry's back, smiling as he squirmed about, trying to get comfortable again. "It seems like this is one of the first good sleeps he's had..."

"Sadly, I think it is." Nadia frowned. "He was half-frozen when I found him. Not to mention how sick he was..."

Minette looked over at her with a tilted head. "I did buy him some medicine, Nadia. Try looking in the bags, you should be able to find it." Blinking, Nadia grabbed one of the bags and dug through it. Sure enough, she found some children's cough medicine, medicine for sore throats, medicine to clear the nose, and more. She even found medicine for symptoms Harry hadn't even shown, such as stomach aches and bowel problems. She smiled. "Wow... You've got me all set, Minette..."

"Hey, I think anyone in this town would do the same." The fish woman shrugged. "Well, just about anyone." Nadia nodded with a slight frown before finding cold medicine. She set the bottle on the coffee table and turned back to her friend.

"So... I was gone for like a month. Anything big happen while I was away?" She asked. "Aside form... well, the kid and the hellhounds..."

"From what I've heard it was pretty quiet." Minette replied. "You've done a lot of good work, the town really has gotten better because of you."

Nadia beamed with pride and smiled happily, her tail swishing about behind her. "Heh,.. Glad I could help... Just hope the Medicis leave this place alone..."

"Oh trust me... Me too." Minette said with a small pout before looking down at Harry and passing him over to Nadia. "Here... He probably likes you better."

Nadia accepted the boy with a small smile. "Don't sell yourself short, Minnie. Harry loves his auntie." She said with a wink.

Harry yawned as he began to stir slowly in Nadia's arms. Nadia smirked and patted his back, shaking him gently as he woke up. "Hiya kitten." Nadia smiled down at him.

"Hi Miss Fortune." Harry yawned, leaning into the warmth of Nadia's chest.

"Harry, I have something for you to take." Nadia said, picking up the pill bottle. "Here, this should make you feel better."

She carefully poured some of the medicine into the lid, then turned to Harry with a small smile. "All right, kit... This stuff tastes awful, but it works." Harry blinked, then slowly opened his mouth, allowing her to pour the medicine down his throat. He grimaced at the taste, and Nadia chuckled. "Yeah, I know. Medicine's real yucky, isn't it? But hey... It'll help make the cough go down for a bit."

Harry however, had his eyes scrunched up and had his tounge sticking out somewhat. Nadia laughed at the cute face and patted his head. "That was yucky..." Harry mumbled, clearly not having enjoyed it.

"Well, it'll help you feel better, then you won't need to take it anymore." Nadia smirked, resting Harry back on her lap, turning him somewhat so he could look up at both her and Minette.

He looked between the fwo women, and he felt a sense of security, He had not only Miss Fortune to look after him, but also Miss Minette... He was safe. Truly safe... They would protect him from the pain, the cold, the fear... Miss Nadia was there for him since the second she saw him, and Miss Minette bought things for him. Harry realized he was among friends.

He smiled and seemed to snuggle up against Nadia's arms, letting a warm, genuine smile form. Nadia didn't seem to notice, but when she saw Minette's face brighten more than she had ever seen, she looked down and felt he heart melt when she saw the large, closed-eyed smile Harry had on his face. She recognized what this meant. He trusted them.

She let a tender smile grace her features and planted a kiss on top of the boy's head, purring softly as she gently stroked his back. "Things are okay now... I promise..." She said softly. The sincerity in her voice brought great joy out of little Harry Potter. He knew she would be there for him... There to protect him and keep him safe... This was something he'd wanted since he knew how to talk... This was what it was like to be a part of a family... This was what it was like...to have a mother... He wouldn't say it out loud... He didn't want to make Miss Fortune mad... But he could still pretend to himself that she was his mother...

He timidly reached up and wrapped his tiny arms around her neck, doing his best to hug her. Nadia grinned and hugged Harry back. It was clear he wanted to belong to a family, and she had every intention of helping him with that. But slow and steady... she didn't want to scare him off by mistake. "You're so cute..." Nadia cooed.

Harry let out a content hum in response, and Nadia kissed his cheek, smiling fondly at him. "Hey Minette... Why don'tcha pick out a movie? We can all watch together."

"Eeeee! Family time! This'll be so FUN!" Minette gushed before rushing off to the movie shelf. Nadia chuckled at her friend's enthusiasm.

"Yep... Family time." She said softly, winking at Harry, who looked up at her curiously. "Yes, squirt. You're part of the family too." She assured him.

Harry's eyes widened in shock as he looked up at Nadia. "F..Family?" He stammered out, finding what he had just heard to be unbelievable. "I...I...I'm family?"

"Yup." Nadia kissed Harry on the head, smiling somewhat sadly at his face. "Family."

Harry stared up at her with wide eyes for a few seconds before slowly leaning his tiny head against her chest, staring in pure disbelief. "Family... But... I'm not a kitty person or a fishy person..."

Nadia gave him a grin. "What, you think that matters? Kitten, lemme tell ya something... Family means WAY more than sharing the same blood or being the same species." She pressed her forehead against his gently and smiled softly. "Family is about people you care about."

"You... You care about me?" Harry asked, looking up in surprise.

"Of course, kitten! Why else do you think I'd be taking care of you?" Nadia laughed, nuzzling his cheek. Harry still seemed downright baffled by the gesture and words until he finally answered timidly.

"Uh... I... I dunno. Why would you want to take care of a freak?"

"Harry, we've been over this." Nadia smiled sadly. "You're not a freak, you're a cute little kitten. I don't know why anyone wouldn't want to take care of you."

Harry leaned into her chest and stared forward blankly, trying to process everything. It was strange... He'd gone from an abused orphan to a part of a family in just one day... Miss Nadia genuinely wanted to take care of him... This was such a foreign concept to the little boy... He thought he would only ever be treated with hatred and scorn.

Nadia seemed to sense it and wordlessly hugged him closer, gently humming a song to him to soothe his fears. Harry decided to take a small risk and timidly tried to hug Nadia. Unfortunately, he was far too tiny to do so, but Nadia grinned nonetheless, kissing his cheek lovingly.

"Heh... That's it, kit, just take it easy... Just get cozy and relax..." She said softly, gently running her fingers through his hair. He snuggled in closer. It took quite a bit of willpower to stop himself from shedding a few tears. He was feeling all sorts of emotions right now, all mixing in with each other. He was happy to finally receive some affection... He was sad that he'd had to suffer so much... And he was absolutely terrified of the idea of waking up to discover it was all just a dream, and he was still alone in the alley, or back in his cupboard awaiting a beating...

But with Miss Fortune and Miss Minette, he believed that wouldn't happen. For the first time in his life, he felt the tiniest bit of confidence that he wasn't going to be hurt. He wanted this to last forever... he didn't know that Nadia had decided it would, and she was going to keep him. He knew she said he was part of her family, but he hadn't begun to fully understand what that really meant.

Nadia watched the tiny little boy snuggle into her and smiled sadly. The damage done was very clear to see, and it was well and truly heartbreaking... The simplest, most mundane displays of affection caused him to react like a man stranded in the desert who just found an oasis. And he was scared... Nadia sighed softly and kissed the boy's head once more, not knowing what else she could say, but wanting to offer him some comfort regardless.

She sighed and rocked him in her arms. She'd help him overcome his pain. she really would. She'd do everything he could to make sure he was nothing but happy for the rest of his precious life.

Minette stepped back into the room, smiling warmly. "Aww, Nadia, you have Finding Momo! I love that movie! Such a sweet mommy-son story..." She cooed. Nadia chuckled softly.

"Yeah, well, the characters look delicious." Nadia said with a massive, toothy grin, causing Minette's face to fall immediately and be replaced with an indignant jaw drop.

"What?! You'd eat Momo and Merlina?! How could you even think about doing something so horrible to them, and after everything they went through?!"

Nadia was about to reply when a high-pitched coughing interrupted the conversation. The two looked down to see Harry cough aggressively then moan in his drowsy state, turning to one side as he continued trying to rest. "Aw... poor kitten..." Nadia frowned, pulling the blanket a bit closer to try and warm him up. "He's gonna have a rough time getting through this cold..."

"I'm just glad he didn't get pneumonia from being out there for so long..." Minette sighed, patting Harry's head lovingly. "Although I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't have a little bit of frostbite."

Nadia winced at that, her ears drooping, and she tightened her hold on the boy, gently rocking him in her arms. "Well... Better do what I can to make sure he stays warm then..." Harry sniffled, then sneezed off to the side. "Gesundheit." Nadia said with a sad smile. He sneezed again, and she grabbed a handkerchief, gently rubbing his nose with it.

Harry let out a soft whine. "M-Miss Fortune...?" He said softly. "I...I don't wanna be sick... When am I gonna get better...?" He asked softly.

"Daw... I know it isn't fun kitten." Nadia spoke softly, rubbing Harry's back. "But it may take a few days until you're better. But don't worry, I'll be here the whole time for you."

"Really?" Harry asked quietly, still trying to stay awake.

"Mmhmm." Nadia grinned, kissing his head. "Don't you worry about a thing, little man. I'll be here to make sure you're well taken care of."

She cradled him against her breast and gently kissed his forehead, purring softly to offer him comfort. "Hey, Minette... Pop in that movie why don'tcha?" Minette smiled brightly and set the movie into the DVD player before heading into the kitchen to see if she could find anything to use as a looked down at Harry with a smirk. "All right, kit... Why don't we sit back and watch us a movie? Maybe it'll take your mind off things a bit."

"M'kay..." Harry mumbled, still feeling sick. Nadia sighed and kissed his forehead, noting how warm it still felt... poor little guy... A few minutes later, the movie had started and Harry seemed to be trying to pay attention, but seemed to be drifting in and out of sleep, his body trying to recover. Nadia kept a tight grip on him, trying to be as comforting a presence as she could.

She looked down at him and smiled sadly. "Hey, kid... Don't force yourself to stay awake for my sake, alright? If you're tired, then just go ahead and get some shuteye... You need to get over this fever." Harry looked up at her tiredly and gratefully, then yawned cutely and closed his eyes, leaning into her embrace and resting his head against her chest. Chuckling, Nadia gently rubbed his back and purred softly to soothe him to sleep. When she heard his tiny snores, she smiled softly and nuzzled the top of his head gently. "Poor little guy..."

Minette seemed to pout as she looked down at the sleeping boy. "What'd he do to deserve this?" The fish woman asked. "The poor thing's been abused, starved, abandoned... and on top of all of that, the poor thing's sick."

"I know, I know..." Nadia nodded, patting his head.

They watched the little boy sleep for a few moments before Nadia looked at Minette. The Dagonian was slightly startled by how uncharacteristically serious her best friend looked. "Minette... I haven't had the chance to tell you what he looked like before I bathed him in the healing water... But... What I saw... Minette... There's some seriously messed up stuff at work here..." Minette blinked, then leaned forward with a serious frown to show she was listening. Nadia took a deep breath before describing everything she had seen. "It's so clear, Minette... His own family... They abused him..."

"...I was afraid of that." Minette sighed.

"And the poor thing, he was covered in cuts and scars. Hw was so malnourished, and clearly beaten... He looked like he was on death's door. And he kept saying how he deserved it all, how it was his fault..." Nadia sighed, kissing Harry once again in his sleep, making the boy coo happily. "And on top of all of that, they abandoned him and left him to be mauled by dogs."

The sleeping boy coughed lightly and she kissed the top of his head. "Minette... The stuff this little guy's been through... It hurts. It really hurts to think about."

Minette nodded her head sadly. "I know, Nadia... I know... It's just awful... But... You found him, didn't you? You're gonna take care of him from now on."

Nadia gave her friend a small smile. "You know it, Minette... Anyone tries to hurt him while he's with me? Well... You know what a mother bear does to the ones that hurt their cubs."

"Yeah. Oh that reminds me. Has he said it yet?"

"Said what?"

"Y'now... Mama." Minette smiled. Nadia shook her head in response.

"No. The little guy's still confused that someone would want to hug him. I don't think he's ready to call me that just yet. But when he's ready, I be sure to let him know how much I'd like that."

Minette blinked in surprise. "Wow... Really? You want to be his mom?" Nadia looked at her in confusion. "It just...didn't really seem like something you'd be into."

Nadia sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "Yeah, well... You're not wrong to think that. Honestly, I was pretty surprised myself when I felt that way... But this kid... There's just...something about him, y'know?"

Minette smiled down at Harry, who was nestled into Nadia's tummy, sucking on his thumb. "Yeah, I see what you mean." She nodded. The silence returned for a few moments, then Minette added: "I can make some soup if you'd like, I think it'd help the little cutie get feeling better."

"Really? That'd be great." Nadia sighed in relief. "I wanna get him something to eat, but I'm comfy and don't wanna wake him...

Giggling, Minette rose to her feet and stepped towards the kitchen. "Any kind of soup in particular you think he would like?" She asked with a tilted head.

Nadia shrugged. "Eh, not really. Honestly, at this point, I think he'd be more than happy to eat anything." Nodding, Minette stepped into the kitchen. Nadia felt stirring and heard whimpering, signifying a nightmare was beginning for Harry. She gently rubbed the back of his head and shushed him softly, calming him instantly.

Harry yawned and let out a tiny hum as he seemed to settle back down, a tiny, cute smile forming on his face. Nadia gave a happy 'Aww...' and kissed his head. She didn't know how much that meant to Harry. In fact she didn't know how much her comforting presence meant to him. She truly was the first person (or cat) to ever show him genuine love.

She looked outside at the falling snow, and sighed softly. "Stuff would have buried you alive if I didn't get ya out of there..." She said sadly. Shaking her head, she began to focus her attention on other things. She began to think about...her own capabilities and if she was really the best choice to raise him. She wasn't backing out of it, not by a longshot. But she felt she needed to figure out what aspects of her life needed to change to accommodate for her new kit. She looked around and sighed. Cleanliness was one thing...

She also probably shouldn't keep getting into fights every night. She was surprised Harry hadn't been more terrified of the blood on her hands when she saved him, but she had a bad feeling that he wouldn't be so calm again about that sort of thing... But aside form that, sure, she'd need to keep a close eye on him until the Medicis were gone. Or dead. Or both. But other than that... why couldn't she raise the little guy? It was painfully clear he loved her. And she loved him right back.

She gave the sleeping boy an amused smile. "Ya sure made things complicated, kit... Complicated...and interesting." She gently rubbed circles on his cheek with her thumb. He cooed cutely and she kissed his forehead gently. The movie essentially turned into background noise, as Nadia focused on the sleeping child in her embrace. He really was adorable... And the fact that anyone would willingly harm him in such awful ways... The mere thought brought those feelings of motherly rage back to the forefront.

Sure, there were bad people in the world, Nadia knew that. And she could seethe and scream 'Who could possibly hurt such a little angel!?' all she wanted, but none of that mattered. What mattered now was that he was safe. She'd take care of him, and someday, she hoped she could figure out why they had hurt him, but for now, keeping him safe was more important... Harry finally began to stir once again, and it seemed like he was actually waking up this time. Nadia adjusted him in her arms so the first thing he'd see was her smiling face.

Harry blinked his eyes, then perked up at the sight of the feline features of his new caretaker. "Heya, kit. Ready to join us here in the land of the living?" She teased lightly.

"M-Miss Fortune...?" He asked softly. Nadia nuzzled his face gently. "M'sorry... I...I sleep to much..." He said before yawning softly. She kissed his cheek.

"Hey, don't think like that, kitten. It's cause you're sick and just got off the streets. Ya need your rest if you wanna get your strength back."

"Oh... uh... okay." Harry mumbled, letting Nadia hold him close. He looked around, feeling safe for once. This was a new and admittedly quite strange, feeling for him. Nadia chuckled as his expression and rested his head against her shoulder as she walked back to her room.

"C'mon, let's get you changed." She smiled.

She grabbed a new pair of pajamas from the closet. He didn't really need to change, since he was only going to be resting. She just wanted to see what he looked like in other pajamas. She dug through the closet, and her mouth formed into a very cat-like smile when she pulled out a small cat onesie. "Minette, you are a genius." She said aloud.

"Thank you!" She heard her friend call out from the kitchen. Chuckling, she carefully removed the footie pajamas and helped Harry into the onesie.

Harry yawned and rubbed one of his eyes with what looked like a tiny paw, and Nadia had to suppress a deafening squeal of delight as she hugged him close once again. "So cute..." She cooed, nuzzling Harry's cheek, somewhat suprising the tiny boy. However, he smiled and leaned into the hug, wanting to be close to Miss Fortune.

Chuckling, she cradled him in her arms like a newborn and rocked him back and forth. "Who's a sweet little kitten?" Harry tilted his head. "You are, that's who!" Nadia concluded with a toothy grin, lightly booping his nose and causing a soft giggle that quickly devolved into violent, painful coughs.

"Aw... it'll be okay..." Nadia sighed, patting his back reassuringly. "Miss Minette's making you some soup to keep your little tummy full and warm, and it'll make you feel better!"

"Thank you..." Harry mumbled, still clearly under the weather.

Nadia smiled sadly and kissed his forehead, right around his scar. "C'mon... Let's go see how your soup's coming along." She cooed gently, carrying Harry into the kitchen. Minette was hard at work, focusing on making the soup perfectly. After what he'd been through, little Harry deserved only the best she could give.

"Aw... He's so cute!" Minette cooed when she saw Harry out of the corner of her eye. The sleepy boy rubbed his eyes and gave a very timid, but still genuine smile at the fish woman.

"T...Thank you, Miss Minette." He managed to get out.

"Smells great in here!" Nadia remarked. "How's the soup coming?"

Minette turned back to her work. "It's just about done... Just a few more minutes." She replied before stirring the pot. Nadia took a seat in a kitchen chair, hugging Harry close.

"You're gonna love this, kit. Soup's Minette's specialty." She explained with a grin, causing the dagonian to beam with pride.

Harry smiled up at Minette and let the woman coo and play with him. After a few more minutes, two bowls of soup were placed in front of them. "There you go. Eat up sweetie." Minette cooed down to Harry who gave a more genuine and bigger smile back up at her.

"Thank you miss Miette." Harry said, still struggling to pronounce her name properly.

The Dagonian giggled and helped herself to her own bowl. "Ah, ya did it again, Minette... Looks awesome." Nadia praised with a beaming grin.

"Aww, thanks, Nadia... Really, I wish Yu-Wan would promote me to chef... I'm way better at cooking than I am at serving." Minette replied with a small pout.

Nadia wrapped an arm around Harry and began feeding him a spoonful of soup. Harry's face seemed to light up in delight at the taste. He let out a happy moan as he tasted the soup. "It's so good..." He mumbled happily.

Minette clapped her hands lightly and grinned ear to ear in delight at the boy's praise. "Aww, I'm glad you think so, sweetie!" She gushed. Nadia fed the boy his soup slowly, chuckling periodically at how happy this simple bowl of food seemed to make him. When he'd finished, she pulled him into her arms. She held the little boy in a manner so that his tiny chin rested atop her shoulder, then gently scratched his back to keep him comfortable.

Harry let out a cooing sound, so Nadia knew she was doing something right. Chuckling softly, she kept up the action, letting Harry rest peacefully with a full tummy. "Thanks for the food Minette." Nadia smiled over st her friend.

Minette tilted her head with a closed-eyed smile. "Oh, it was nothing... Always happy to help!" She chirped. She looked over at Harry and giggled.

Nadia chuckled as well. "Yeah, he's cute alright. Think I'll keep him." She joked lightly. Harry let out a soft sigh of relief at hearing those words. He had held onto a deepseated fear that Miss Nadia was going to throw him away when she got the chance, but he was receiving no indications she planned to do so.

He let his body relax and he snuggled closer to the woman who had saved him. Maybe he wouldn't be able to call her mama, but she held him and fed him... that was good enough for Harry. Nadia kept scratching his back, enjoying watch the little boy practically melt in her arms. "Dawww... you're a cuddly little kitten." She cooed playfully.

Harry cooed in response and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her back like a baby koala. Nadia grinned and purred softly, much to Harry's delight. He coughed several times, but ignored the discomfort and focused on the soothing rumbling filling his ears. Nadia gently nuzzled his cheek as she purred. Harry was so happy he thought he might burst... This was it... THIS was what he wanted more than anything... This warmth... This love... This feeling of safety and comfort...

Nadia began gently humming a gentle tune to the small boy, Harry felt like all his fears and insecurities were melting away as he remained in this woman's arms. He was scared though. What if she found out about his freakiness? What if she didn't want him and was just pretending to be nice? He tensed up slightly, unwillingly, and tried not to look up at Nadia who blinked in slight confusion.

She kissed his cheek, nuzzled him and pressed her forehead against his, looking him in the eyes. "Hey, kit... What's wrong? What's got ya on edge?"

"M-Miss Nadia...? D-Do you really like me...?" Harry asked softly. Nadia blinked, then laughed softly.

"Of course, kitten... Anyone with eyes can see that..." She cooed.

"E-Even if I... I do freaky stuff...? Like make things change colour or heal to fast or teleport or... or..." Harry bit his lip and let out a soft whimper.

Nadia bit her lip and Minette gave him a sad look. "You think you're a freak, kit...?" Nadia asked softly. Harry whimpered and nodded. Nadia frowned. "...Lemme show ya something. This might be a bit shocking, but don't be scared. Just watch this." Then, she removed her head.

Harry blinked, but shockingly didn't scream. He seemed scared, that much was obvious, but he didn't say anything. Minette's eyes widened in shock, she knew her friend could do this... but in front of Harry?! "Nadia! Are you insane!?" She snapped. "You're gonna traumatize him!"

Nadia looked at her friend with a frown. "He's gotta find out at some point, Minette. Better to get it out of the way early on so it doesn't happen accidentally and he thinks I'm dead." She turned her head back to look at Harry with a sad smile. "Besides... He needs to understand that he's not a freak... And what better way to help him understand than by showing him my own little quirk?" She held her decapitated head up to Harry's cheek and planted a kiss on it, followed by doing the same thing to his forehead and other cheek, then put her head back on. "Y'see, kit? You're the only person I know who can make stuff change colour... But I betcha don't know anyone that can take off their head! And how about Minette over there? She can clean a place so fast, ya barely have time to blink!" Gently, she pressed her forehead against Harry's and stared him dead in the eyes. "We all have our own little quirks, buddy. It doesn't make us freaks... It just means we're special."

"But... I..." Harry began, but Nadia put a finger to his mouth giving him a sad smile.

"You're not a freak, kit. Please don't think that." Nadia cooed.

"How did you do that?" Harry asked. "I didn't know you could take your head off..."

"Well, most people can't." Nadia chuckled.

She sighed softly. "It's a story that'll have to wait until you're older, okay, kit? It's... a pretty scary one... I don't wanna give you any bad dreams."

"Oh... Okay..." Harry nodded, accepting his caregiver's reasoning. Nadia smiled and rubbed his head.

"Now whattya say we go and get you wrapped up in a nice blanket and we'll... play a game or somethin'?"

"M'kay." Harry said with a warm, albeit drowsy smile.

"Thanks for the food, Minette!" Nadia called as she left the room. Minette turned around to answer, but her shoulders drooped when she saw the mess her friend had made. Why? Why did she always do this?! And on a more important note, why did she always make her friend food?! It always ended with her having to clean up after her...

Still, maybe Harry had made some of this mess, and she couldn't blame him for that.

Nadia opened up the hallway closet and found a small, fluffy blanket. She grabbed it and gently wrapped Harry up, leaving only his head emerging. She chuckled and gently scratched the top of his head before stepping into the living room and taking a seat on the couch. "Hey, kit... Ever play I Spy?"

"Uh... no." Harry shook his head after a few moments of thought.

"Well, I'll find something in the room, and I want you to guess what it is!" Nadia smiled, explaining the game to the tiny boy.

"Oh. Okay!" Harry said, seeming to understand the simplicity of the game.

"Well..." Nadia began, looking around the room, trying to find something simple.

"Okay... I spy... with my little eye... Something that is... brown!" Harry looked around the room to try and find what she could be referring to.

"Is it... the shelf...?" He asked.

"Nope!" Nadia shook her head.

"Is it the TV...?"

"Wrong again!"

"The...table...?"

"Bingo! You got it!"

"Oh. Yay!" Harry said after a few moment. "Uh... I see... something that is orange."

Nadia blinked then looked around.

"The clock?"

"No..." Harry mumbled in response.

"The blanket?"

"No..."

"Me?"

Harry blinked in confusion and looked up at her. She grinned back at him, showing all her teeth, and patted his head. "Heh... Just kiddin' ya, kit."

"Oh... Um... Well it's not you... You're not orange..." Harry replied.

"Okay... Hmm... Is iiiiit... That orange in the fruit bowl?"

"Yes!" Harry exclaimed happily.

"Heh. Good one!" Nadia smiled down at him. This continued for bout half an hour, until Nadia decided they should try something else. She sat down with Harry in her arms and smiled down at him.

"Do you want to hear a story?" She asked.

"Yes please miss Fortune." Harry said, looking up with wide, hopeful eyes.

She chuckled and thought about what she was going to tell him about. "Hmm... Oh, I got it! How about the time I beat up the Skullgirl?"

Harry's eyes widened. "Skullgirl...? You mean those scary girls that make dead people alive again...?" He asked, having a vague idea of what Skullgirls are from hearing his aunt and uncle talk about them.

"The very same! And boy, she was a tough one! Okay, so it all started one day when I went to visit Minette over at Yu-Wan's diner..." And so she told the whole story, from fighting off the two thugs harassing Minette to her defeat of Marie to her destroying the Skull Heart.

Harry remained quiet the entire time, completely enthralled with the story. Nadia noted that he not only seemed interested with the story itself, but seemed to be essentially learning bits and pieces of the town's history from her story. He was smarter than she expected. When the story finally ended, it took Harry a few moments to realize the story had ended. "Wow... that was a good story." Harry finally said, looking up at Nadia.

"Heh, you know it." She chuckled, messing with his hair. "It was... an experience. And one I'm thankful I don't have to deal with again.

Harry leaned his head against her chest, and she chuckled softly and scratched his head gently, looking up at the ceiling. "But hey,,, The adventures don't end there." Harry looked back up at her, curious, and she grinned from ear to ear. "See, right after I got back from beating down that Skullgirl? I had to save Minette."

"What?! Something happened to Miss Minette?! What was it?!" Harry asked urgently. Nadia smirked.

"She was kidnapped by bad guys."

"Why?!" Harry asked, clearly frightened by the story. Nadia smirked and patted his head.

"Hey, it's okay hon. Some people are just... dumb." Nadia remarked. "And... well, it didn't end too well for them." Nadia continued her story, telling Harry about how she and Minette found themselves in a plot bigger than they had expected, and how they ended up saving tons of innocents along the way.

Harry listened intently to her story with wide eyes. "...So we decided that the circus girl should go free. She was a good person, just with the wrong crowd."

Harry nodded in understanding, still comfortable in Nadia's arms. "And then... well, I left for a few months. I was tired, and I needed to get way from all this for a bit." Nadia continued with a grin. "I took a vacation, enjoyed some rest. But when I got back, well, I found you." She finished, kissing his nose playfully.

Harry cooed softly at receiving the kiss to his nose, and Nadia chuckled. "And finding you? Well... It just completed everything. Made my return home that much sweeter." Harry felt a warm, tingly feeling welling up inside him, feeling like he was genuinely wanted and loved. He snuggled in close. "Thank you Miss Nadia..."

Nadia opened her mouth to reply, when she heard someone clearing their throat. She looked over to see Minette with her hands on her hips, glaring sternly at her. "We need to discuss your cleanliness, Nadia."

"Yeah, yeah... I know, I know..." Nadia rolled her eyes. "Did you have to ruin a good moment though? We were really bonding."

"I don't think yo've cleaned this place. Ever." Minette simply responded, and Nadia knew... she was somewhat right. She had cleaned it, awhile ago. Last... wait. When HAD she last cleaned the place? Whatever. Her friend had ruined a tender moment between her and Harry, and therefore she should hold her accountable to that. That seemed like the reasonable thing to do.

"Um... it is kinda messy." Harry mumbled, making Nadia look down at him. "Do you want me to clean it for you?"

Nadia blinked at that, then shook her head. "Nah, don't worry, kit, it's all good... I'll handle it later on." Minette scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Later on is right! You wanna know where I've been for the past hour you two were bonding? Cleaning. Top to bottom. This whole darn house, Nadia."

"Uh... Heheheh... Thanks, Minette..." The Dagonian glared sternly and she sighed. "Yeah, I got it... I'll be more mindful from now on..." She conceded.

"Great." Minette said as she left the room. Nadia sighed and looked back down to Harry before smiling and kissing his head.

"Later can be a long time kit. Let's enjoy now." She said happily, tucking the boy into her arm and playfully poking his belly, mentally frowning at how skinny it seemed. Regardless, it got a laugh from Harry.

She chuckled as she began tickling the boy lightly, gaining more and more laughter from him by the second. "Ah... You have a great laugh, kit..." She leaned down and kissed his cheek before cuddling him close. "Better quit while we're ahead, though. Don't want ya to die laughing or anything." Harry gasped and looked at her with wide, fearful eyes. "Hey, just kidding little guy, you're not gonna die laughing." She chuckled softly.

"Oh. Okay." Harry blinked, still unsure, but trusting Nadia nonetheless.

She sighed softly and tightened her hold on Harry, resting her chin atop his head. "Well... I guess, now that everything's clean, there's nothing to worry about..."

Harry looked up at her and tilted his tiny head. "Are you sure there isn't anything I can do to help?" He asked softly. Nadia smiled and nuzzled his head.

"Just keep on being you, kitten... That's the best help you could ever give to anyone..." She cooed. "...Although if you can clean up after yourself, that'd also be appreciated."

"M'kay..." Harry nodded, still leaning into Nadia's embrace. He had no idea how happy this made the cat woman. He was so tiny and sweet, and whenever he tried to be near her, it felt like a baby reaching out for its mother. Nadia chuckled softly and patted his head soothingly.

"Aw..." She said quietly, mostly to herself.

She purred softly into the little boy's ear, hugging him close against her shoulder, resting his tiny head in the crook of her neck. The boy coughed some more. "Tsk... Here, kit..." She popped a cough drop into his mouth, smiling as she heard the subtle sounds of him sucking on it. "There's a good little guy... My good little guy..."

Harry finally let a timid smile form on his face, and Nadia returned it with a large grin of her own. She was gonna work him out of his shell, one way or another. He was somewhat beginning to warm up to her, but she didn't blame him for still being nervous. In no matters helped by his sickness. Still, she was glad she caught it when she did, she didn't want him getting something drastic...

She looked at the boy through the corner of her eyes and smiled when she noticed his eyes drooping tiredly. "Heh... All right, buddy... Go to sleep now..." She whispered. Harry looked at her with a tired smile, then buried his face into her neck, clinging tightly to her like a baby koala. Nadia kissed his cheek gently. He cooed, the sweetest sound she'd ever heard, and then he snored softly, his tiny shoulders rising and falling with each little breath he took.

"...I think I love you," Nadia whispered to herself. "Is this... is this what being a mother is like?"

"Aww, the little guy looks so precious when she sleeps!" Minette cooed, grinning widely at her friend. "You're surprisingly good at this."

Nadia blushed slightly and gave her friend a grin. "Heh... Thanks, Minette..." She said softly. "I dunno what to tell ya... I just... care about him... A lot..."

Minette daintily took a seat on the couch adjacent to her, smiling warmly. "It's very easy to see why... He's so adorable." She cooed. "And he loves you so much..."

Nadia smiled down at the sleeping boy in her arms, noting how calmly he slept as she held him. He did love her, didn't he? "...He did call me mama when he was asleep earlier..."

"Really?" Minette asked in surprise. "Wow... I... huh. Look, I dunno what to say to that, I think you'd be a great mom, but I also think you should take this one step at a time."

"Whaddya mean by that?" Nadia asked, confused.

"There's clearly something wrong." Minette said flatly. "He seems to need to cry... yet can't. I think you need to get him to open up a bit more."

"But if I do that, that may end up hurting him."

"Well... That's why I said you need to get him to open up more. Keep doing what you've been doing... You've been really good with him so far." The Dagonian looked at her friend seriously. "I can tell you love him a lot, Nadia... And he loves you right back. Just look at how cuddly he is."

"I know... He's so cute!" Nadia cooed, gently patting his head. The tiny boy yawned and nuzzled closer to her. "But can I just... become his mom? I really care for him, but I don't know what to do..."

"I think it'll sort itself out." Minette shrugged.

Nadia thought about it, then nodded. "Yeah... I guess you're right... I wouldn't mind too much if he did decide he wanted me to be his mom though..."

Minette cooed softly. "Aww, you're getting attached..." Nadia chuckled and shrugged her shoulders.

"Yeah, well... Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the feeling's mutual..." She gently nuzzled the little boy's head and felt him bury his face deeper into her neck.

"Heh. Cute little guy..." She said quietly. She gently set him down on the couch, pulling the blanket up and over the tiny boy. She patted his head and let him sleep. "Let's let him take a nap." She smiled. Minette smiled down at the tiny boy who was sleeping peacefully.

Both women watched him sleep soundly, smiling softly. "...He's probably gonna have another bad dream..." Nadia said softly. Minette frowned.

"Wow... How bad are they?" Nadia sighed softly as she gazed upon the tiny sleeping boy, remembering his mental breakdown from earlier.

"He... He had a nasty fever dream that turned into a hallucination..." She said softly. "Someone was beating him up... He... He didn't even realize I was there, even though I was holding him... That's how bad it was..."

"Poor little thing..." Minette sighed. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Sadly... I don't know." Nadia frowned. "As of right now, I think we need to wait until he wakes up, then I might ask him a few more questions." She gently placed a hand on the sleeping boy, as a sort of comforting gesture.

He subconsciously leaned into her touch and smiled, reminding Nadia very much of a sleeping kitten. She smiled tenderly and took a deep breath. "Man, it has been a crazy couple of months..." She said softly. "Ever since those two thugs showed up at the restaurant, everything's just been buckwild."

"Well...That is the life of a thief, after all." Minette said with a sad smile. Nadia looked down. She missed the gang so much...

"Heh. I think they'd find it kinda funny you've become a sort of mother." Minette smirked.

"I...I'm a good mother figure... Right...?" Nadia asked softly.

"Yes, you really are." Minette said completely honestly. Nadia rubbed her arm and looked down at the sleeping boy in her arms, biting her lip.

"Are... Are you sure, Minette...? Rough and tumble types like me... I dunno if they're particularly 'mom' material... I mean... I'd like to be, but... D'you think I can pull it off...?" Minette shrugged.

"I mean look at you... You took him in when he needed someone most...You made sure he was fed, warm and cleaned... You spend time with him, you play with him, you tell him stories, you comfort him when he's scared or upset, you cuddle with him... I think you're a wonderful mother, Nadia."

As if to answer her question, Harry seemed to hum slightly in his sleep before settling back down and yawning cutely. "I think he agrees." Minette said. "He may not be ready to say it out loud, but I think he wants you to be his mother as much as you want to be his."Nadia went silent again. Being a mother... this was a new thought for her. Sure, she had taken care of her friends, and maybe that was 'motherly', but this was adopting a child. Was she really ready? But then again, what was stopping her?

She sighed softly and hugged Harry tightly, stroking the little boy's back and gazing tenderly down at him. "Yeah... I can do it... Second guessing myself won't get me anywhere." The cat girl looked at Minette. "Minette... You're his godmother. And because of that... If anything happens... If the Medicis finally get me... Please take care of him for me..."

"Of course." Minette smiled, but there was an undeniable sadness in her eyes when she said so. She smiled and patted the tiny boy's head, earning a small coo in response. She chuckled slightly and smiled up at Nadia. "Honestly, I wouldn't be too worried about the Medici's, it honestly seems like they've lost a lot of their grip on the town ever since Big Bubba rose up I heard rumours that he almost ate Black Dahlia."

"Even so, that doesn't mean they're done for." Nadia frowned.

Nadia narrowed her eyes into slits and held Harry's tiny hand and squeezed it gently. "If they put one hand on him... I will KILL them... Slowly... PAINFULLY..." Minette was taken aback very slightly, having never seen her friend talk so darkly before. She understood, though... If they harmed little Harry... Well, anything they got, they'd deserve.

Nada looked down at the tiny boy, who seemed to be squirming on the couch. There was somethingly clearly wrong... It took her a moment, then she realized he was probably having a nightmare. "Aw... poor thing..." She cooed sitting down again and gently shaking him to wake him up.

He snapped awake with a sharp gasp, looked around wildly, then squeezed his eyes shut and flinched intensely. Nadia tightened her hold on him and purred softly. "It's okay, hun... Whatever you're seeing isn't real... It's just a dumb old hallucination, it can't hurt you... Just take it easy now..." She whispered softly into his ear.

Harry seemed to relax slightly upon hearing her voice, and he slowly looked up to see her smiling face. "I...I had another bad dream..." He whimpered.

"Aww... Hey, it's okay." Nadia cooed gently, holding him close. "Why don't you tell me about it?" Harry looked away, it was clear he didn't want to, that or maybe he was afraid of telling her what happened. Nadia didn't like either option, and kissed his head. "It's okay, you can tell me. I won't be upset." She cooed softly.

He sniffled slightly, then took a deep breath. "It... It was my unc- The walrus man again." Nadia blinked and her ears drooped as she processed what he just said.

"The one that beat you up in your last dream...?" She said softly. Harry hesitated before nodding his tiny head. "...And you were about to say...your uncle?"

"...Yes." Harry nodded sadly, not wanting to look up at Nadia. In response, Nadia simply kissed his head.

"It's alright, you don't need to be scared." She cooed gently, rubbing his head. "I'm here, you're safe now."

"It just... it just felt so real..." Harry mumbled, still not wanting to look up at Nadia. It was honestly heartbreaking to the cat woman.

"Hey... It's okay, kitten..." She whispered softly, resting her chin atop his head. "It's okay, he can't hurt you... He tries, I break his jaw and claw out his eyes..."

"Y-You promise to keep me safe...?" Harry asked softly, finally looking up at her. Nadia smiled confidently, then gave him a very light, playful noogie.

"You know it, kiddo. Just consider me your guard cat." She joked.

"Thank you..." Harry mumbled, leaning into Nadia's hold.

"Heh, don't worry about it hon. I'll keep you safe." Nadia cooed softly, rubbing his back in a soothing gesture. Harry smiled and let himself be kept warm and safe by Miss Nadia, he loved her, what did he do to deserve this though? He was a freak, but she seemed to think he was...

Seeming to sense his thoughts, Nadia nuzzled him gently. "You're such a good boy..." She whispered softly. "Probably never even hurt a fly..." Harry felt reassured by these words. Miss Nadia thought he was a good boy... Now, he decided it was his duty to prove her right and be the best boy he could be. Minette observed the scene before her with a warm smile, wondering how Nadia could ever doubt herself. These two were so adorable together... Truly a mother-son relationship.

Harry snuggled into her embrace, and Nadia smiled. Maybe Minette was right, maybe she was the right person to be Harry's mother. When she looked down at the small boy, she saw someone so desperately in need of love and affection, of someone to call a mother... and who else did she know that could do it? Minette probably could, and some of the old gang might be able to... But she had found him, she had saved him, there was something special between the two, something she couldn't explain. And yet she didn't need an explanation.

She nuzzled him gently and kissed his forehead, eliciting a coo from the child. The feral giggled softly and looked at Minette, who was smiling warmly. "See? Didn't I tell you? Not hard at all, right?" The dagonian chirped happily. Nadia chuckled and nodded her head in response, gazing down at the boy.

"Yeah... It's all sorta coming to me naturally..." Nadia admitted softly.

Harry smiled up at Nadia as she gently patted his head. The little boy was so comfy, and huggable. She enjoyed when she got to hold him like this. The two were just comfy together. "Harry, I know it may seem scary, but do you want to talk about your nightmares?" Nadia asked gently, and Harry bit his lip.

"I... I already told you about my bad dreams though..." Harry said softly. Nadia smiled and shook her head.

"I mean... in general. Since you were living out on the streets, I bet you've probably been having bad dreams for quite a while now... haven't you?"

Harry whimpered and snuggled in closer to her. "They're so scary... I hate the bad dreams... I wish they'd stay away..."

"Well... do you know what causes them? Is there a recurring nightmare you have?" Nadia prodded, trying to (gently) get Harry to open up about his past. She knew what was causing his nightmares, it was no mistake. But she knew sooner or later he'd have to get it off his chest, but she wanted him to know she would be more than willing to listen.

"Um... I... I have... a few..." He admitted softly. Nadia nodded and gestured for him to continue. "Th-There's one where my mommy dies... There's a green light, and she screams and then she's...gone..."

Nadia clicked her tongue. "That's an ugly dream to have, huh, kit?" She said softly. "What else?"

"Um... The rest are about the... The walrus man..."

"Your uncle?" Nadia asked, rather bluntly. From Harry's reaction, it was clear she probably shouldn't have.

"Um...y..yeah..." Harry whimpered, suddenly seemed frightened again.

"Hey, it's alright, it's alright." Nadia said soothingly.

He buried his face into her once more and she bit her lip sadly, tightening her hold on him. She knew... She just knew that this boy's uncle had hurt him... "Okay, sweetie... Wanna tell me what he does to you in these dreams...?" She whispered softly. Harry began to tremble violently in her arms.

"He... He... He beats me up... A lot... And it feels real... Like it's really happening in real life... And it hurts... It really, really hurts..." He whimpered.

Nadia didn't reply right away, instead deciding to hold him closer, gently cooing to try and calm him down. She felt bad, she knew this was coming, and she wasn't looking forward to it. "That's horrible, Kit." She said softly.

He said nothing, he just curled in on himself as tightly as he could and buried his face into her chest. Nadia purred softly and stroked his back. "I know he hurt you." She whispered softly into his ear. He tensed up slightly. "Shhhhhh... Shh shh shh shh shh... You don't have to talk about it now... That can wait for another day... You were very brave telling me about your bad dreams... I'm proud of you, kitten."

"Thank you Miss Fortune" Harry said quietly, nuzzling back into Nadia's embrace once again.

"Poor little thing..." Minette sighed sadly, looking at the tiny boy with teary eyes.

"Yeah... This kid's had it bad... But that's the past. The future? Well, the future's gonna be full of better things for the little guy..." Nadia said softly, looking down at Harry. "Y'hear that, kit...? It's okay now. Ya got a roof over your head... Clothes on your back... Food in your little belly... And someone to take care of you." Nadia said softly. She pressed her forehead against his. "And if ol' uncle walrus tries anything on you again? I'll send him flying with a broken jaw. That's a promise."

"Thank you Miss Nadia." Harry said softly, hugging the cat woman's neck. Nadia grinned and hugged him back, gently nuzzling his cheek as she grinned at the tiny boy in her arms. Internally, she was furious. How could someone hurt a child so small and precious?! What was wrong with someone so that they hated, let alone hurt, such a little child?!

Well... She supposed it didn't matter... He was with her now. She loved him. She knew this for a fact. Mother or not, all she knew was that she cared deeply for this boy. She grabbed the TV remote. "All right, gang, let's see what's on TV." She said as she began flipping through channels, eventually settling on a kiddy show.

Nadia wasn't paying too much attention to the show, she was more focused on Harry. He seemed happy, he seemed more relaxed, but she wasn't sure how long that would last. But until then, she was gonna take care of him.

She smiled and rested her chin atop his head, purring gently and softly, just to let him know that she was here... That as long as she was there... He would be okay.


	3. Chapter 3

The night came and went, and sadly, Harry only seemed to be getting worse. Minette was tending to his fever, trying to help get him over it, but the next morning, he was essentially confined to his bed. Nadia remained by his side, trying to be a comforting presence to him. But he was just sick...

"Aw geez, kitten... Guess it's reaching its apex, huh?" Harry looked at her, confused. "Well... Never mind that. The important thing right now is that we keep you comfy so you can rest it off." Harry opened his mouth to reply, but ended up coughing instead. Letting out a discontent mewl, Nadia grabbed a nearby spoon and poured some medicine into it."All right, kit... Open up for the airplane!" The Feral woman made airplane noises as she moved the spoon down to the little boy. Harry would have giggled if he wasn't feeling sick.

Harry tiredly ate the medicine, moaning slightly as it was clear he didn't like the taste of it, and Nadia couldn't blame him. "I know it's gross, but itI'll help you get feeling better." She said softly, gently taking Harry's hands. "Poor little guy..." Harry mumbled something inaudible, and Nadia simply kissed his head in response.

"Minette will be up with the soup any second now." The cat burglar cooed softly. "I'll let ya have a bowl of ice cream after that too, that sound good, buddy?" Harry smiled tiredly and nodded his head. Nadia smiled and stroked his cheek gently, then turned with a smile as Minette entered the room, a steaming bowl of soup on a tray in her hands.

"Here it is, Nadia. It's an old family recipe. My biggest sister made it for the rest of us when we were sick, and I say it helped quite a bit. Here..." She took a spoonful, blew on it, then gently put it in Harry's mouth.

"Mmm..." Harry mumbled, a small smile clear on his face.

"Thanks, Minette." Nadia smiled. "I think it'll help."

"Well, I certainly hope so." Minette nodded. "I hate seeing the little cutie like this."

"So do I." Nadia nodded.

Both women looked down at Harry with sad smiles, and Minette sighed deeply. "Well, it's a good thing I came before this place got snowed in..."

Nadia chuckled softly. "Yeah... I doubt I could deal with this if I was alone. I really appreciate the help, Minette." Nadia said softly as Minette fed Harry more soup.

"Oh, it's no problem, Nadia. You know I'd do anything to help you out." The dagonian replied, smiling as the little boy in bed enjoyed his warm meal.

"Well, getting him fed is the first step to getting him feeling better." Nadia sighed, gently patting the sick boy's head. "Little guy clearly spent too much time out in the snow..."

"M'swory..." Harry mumbled, feeling like he had done something wrong. Nadia paused, then smiled warmly at him.

"Hey, it's not your fault kiddo." She said with a grin.

She gave him a kiss, then stood back as Minette continued feeding him the soup. When she saw that the soup was nearly gone, she turned to leave to get Harry his ice cream. "Be right back, guys!" She called out. Minette smiled after her, then sighed softly and gently grabbed Harry's hand, giving it a soft squeeze.

"I'm so glad you're off the streets... A lot of people were super worried about you you know." Harry looked surprised, and Minette smiled. "Lots of people wanted to help you, Harry... Even if you thought you were alone... You never were."

"Thank you." Harry said quietly, looking away bashfully. Minette grinned and kissed the top of his tiny head.

"You're so cute!" She softly cooed, earning another smile from Harry. Sitting on the bed next to Harry, she gently took one of his hands and patted it. "You just rest easy, sweetie. Me and Nadia will take good care of you."

At that moment, Nadia stepped into the room, holding three large bowls of ice cream in her arms. "That ee will, kitten, that we will." Chuckling, she handed Minette a bowl.

"Ooooh, thank you!" The young Dagonian squealed, accepting the bowl of ice cream and taking a spoonful. "Mmm... Cookie dough..."

"Yep, I know your favourites, Minette." Nadia chuckled before turning her attention to her charge. "All right, kit, ya ate your soup like a good boy, so here's your dessert." Then she put a spoonful in his mouth.

"So good..." Harry mumbled as he tasted the food, then suddenly coughed, mixed with a bit of heavy breathing. Nadia frowned, unsure if Harry was coughing, or was having a bit of a brain freeze.

"Daw... there, there." Nadia said softly, patting his back. "Sorry kit. Guess you're really feeling rough, huh?"

"mmhmm..."

The cat woman sighed sadly. "Well... That's what we're here for. Heh... Nurse Nadia and Nurse Minette reporting for duty, sir!" She joked.

Minette giggled softly. "That's right. We're here to nurse you back to health. You're at the highest point of it now, so it's only gonna get better from here. You'll see."

"Thank you." Harry said again, his tone sincere and genuine. Nadia smiled and kissed the top of his head once again.

"You're welcome, kit. Now you just relax and enjoy your treat." She instructed, scooping up another spoonful of ice cream for Harry.

The boy laid still in his bed and opened his mouth periodically to let the frozen treat in. Nadia's tail swished about merrily as she fed him. When the ice cream was finished, Harry closed his eyes. "Thank you..." He said again before the soft sound of his snores filled Nadia's bedroom.

Nadia smiled and sat next to the sleeping boy, resting a hand on his chest to try and keep him comfortable, and to provide some sort of safe presence. The tiny boy kept sleeping peacefully and Nadia grinned. "You're so cute when you sleep." She said quietly.

She chuckled softly, knowing he couldn't hear her, but she just... wanted to say it. She turned to Minette with a warm smile. "Seriously... Thank you SO much for helping me out."

"Of course! It's my job as a godmother." Minette said proudly.

"Heh, and you're doing fantastic. I genuinely don't know what I'd do if you weren't around... I honestly have no idea how to treat a sickness like this..."

"Well, for a first-timer you're doing... passable." Minette replied, and Nadia's ears went rigid.

"Wh...What?" She finally got out.

"Whoa, Nadia, I was kidding!" Minette exclaimed.

"Oh... Okay." Nadia relaxed. "Heh... I just... Wanna feel like I'm doing a good job... The kid needs me, y'know? If I'm not up to scratch, then..." She trailed off and Minette hugged her.

"You're fine, Nadia. Really. You're taking great care of him. You know what you're doing. I can't imagine anyone else better for the job."

"Thanks." Nadia nodded, looking back down at Harry and patting his head. The tiny boy cooed softly in his sleep and seemed to turn over. Nadia turned back and looked at her friend. "I think I know why the kid was out in the snow now, and I don't like it."

Minette tilted her head in confusion. "Nadia... We know he was abandoned. He told us so himself..." Nadia nodded her head, an uncharacteristically grim expression on her face.

"Yeah, but think about it though... Why would they abandon him? Why would they just leave him out on the street like that? Why would he be constantly afraid, like someone's gonna hurt him?"

Minette thought about it. "Well, I guess the most logical conclusion is..." Her eyes widened in shock and horror. "Nadia... You don't think they... physically abused him...?"

"...Yeah. I'm pretty sure they did." Nadia replied, her tone unnaturally cold, her eyes narrowed and her head lowered. She didn't seem angry, she seemed beyond furious. Minette had only ever seen her friend this angry once or twice, and she never knew what could cause her to be so upset. But this time... well, she felt the same way.

The cat feral took a kneeling position by the sleeping child and gently cupped his cheek with her hand, giving him a sad frown as she looked him over. "They hurt him so much... And I just can't understand why... Just imagining what they did to him, I just..." She gritted her teeth with fury and looked at Minette. "They're gonna pay, Minette... I promise you that. They are going to SUFFER THE DAMN CONSEQUENCES OF WHAT THEY DID TO THIS KID." Nadia hissed through gritted teeth.

"Hey, you're gonna wake him up." Minette said quietly, noting Harry squirming uncomfortably in the bed. Nadia seemed to realize what had happened and quickly calmed herself, gently placing a hand on Harry's cheek as he slept.

Nadia sighed softly and looked at the ceiling. "I hope he talks to me soon..." She said softly. "I just... really want him to know that everything's okay..." Minette nodded in agreement and clasped her hands together, looking down at the floor. Truth be told, she wouldn't mind biting these people's fingers off herself...

Still, they could figure out revenge later. Right now, getting Harry feeling better was the main goal for the women. Minette, seeing her friend had this under control, decided to give them some space, leaving the cat-woman with the sleeping boy, who was breathing peacefully once again.

"Wanna take a nap, Minnie? The guest room's wide open for ya!" Minette called after her.

"Thank you, Nadia! Let me know if you need my help!" Minette called back. Chuckling, Nadia leaned down and gave the sleeping Harry a kiss on the forehead.

"Sleep well kit." She cooed. Lying next to him, she decided to rest for a few minutes, and gently pulled Harry closer, smiling when she felt the tiny. boy snuggle against her in his sleep. Maybe Minette was right, maybe she was a mother... If she was, she certainly didn't mind. Neither did Harry from what she could tell.

She exhaled softly through her nose and just held the boy close. Truth be told, she didn't feel particularly sleepy. She just wanted to hold the little boy. She smiled fondly as she looked him over. He was so... at peace in her embrace... In fact... he always seemed more peaceful when she was holding him... He really did love being around her... And that simple fact melted the cat feral's heart into a gooey puddle...

"Cutie..." She muttered before she started thinking again. If what she believed was true, and he had been physically abused and then thrown away... She'd make them pay. She'd track them down, and she'd make them suffer. There wasn't any reason why they did it, Harry was just a sweet, innocent little boy.

She tightened her hold on him and curled her body around him the best she could, enveloping him in her warmth. She felt him begin to stir, signifying a nightmare. "Shhh... Shhh shh shh shh shh..." She whispered softly into his ear, seeming to calm him into relaxing in her embrace. Her ear twitched and she smiled warmly. "Hope those nasty dreams stop buggin' ya sooner than later, kitten..." She whispered. Then he spoke in his sleep.

"Love you... Ms... Fortune..."

Nadia's eyes widened, and a wide grin formed as she rested a hand on Harry's side.

"Love you too, kit." She smiled down at the sleeping boy, gently rubbing his back to keep him calm and happy. It seemed to work, as Harry squirmed slightly in his sleep, then smiled and continued sleeping without any nightmares.

Nadia spent about three hours laying with him in bed before he woke up with a soft groan and began coughing again, though she was glad to note that it was slightly less violent. "Hey, kit... Sleep good?" Nadia asked, lightly bumping her forehead against his. He looked up at her and nodded his head slowly in affirmation.

"Mm-hmm... Thank you, Miss Nadia... For... For being so nice to me and... and letting me into your house, and... and... and taking care of me..."

Nadia chuckled and picked up the tiny bundle, holding him close to her chest once again. "Don't worry, kit." She smiled. "It's nice having someone as cute as you around." Harry seemed like he wanted to say something, but coughed instead, before moaning slightly, clearly not too happy with how he was feeling.

Nadia cooed and hugged Harry tightly, lying on her back as she hugged him close against her bosom, essentially taking over the mattress' role. "There ya go, kit... There ya go... Just take it easy... Just relax..." Nadia whispered softly, rubbing his back gently, smiling warmly when she felt him snuggle in closer. "Heh... You're such a cute little guy..." Nadia cooed softly. "You're like...an adorable teddy bear that can walk and talk... Heh... So glad you let me bring ya home..."

Harry didn't reply, simply enjoying the warmth of being held by Miss Nadia. She really was like his mommy, but he didn't know if he could tell her that... he was nervous, still somewhat fearful he may overstep his boundaries. But after all he had been through, Miss Fortune had done nothing but care for him like a mother would her child... He didn't know what to do, so he decided not to worry about it.

Nadia just held him for several minutes before speaking up. "Why don't I tell ya some more stories, kitten? I got tons of 'em... Some really funny ones too." Harry smiled brightly. Nice, warm blankets, cuddles with Miss Fortune and storytime... If it weren't for his illness, it would be perfect for him...

"Yes please, Miss..." Harry had to stop to cough. "F-Fortune..." Nadia smiled sadly and kissed his heaf.

"All right... This is the story of the Abominable Snow Minette."

Nadia spent the next bit telling Harry stories about how her and Minette had met, and how Minette somehow always seemed to be finding herself in snow banks. And how one time, Minette had accidentally disturbed a 'Yeti' as they were called, and how Nadia had to dig her friend out of snowbanks several times that day.

Harry found himself giggling softly when JimBob and Patrick came into the story, and then Minette stepped into the room with a yawn. "Ahh... So how's... Oh, not that story!" She protested.

"Hey, I already got through the worst of it, Minnie. No worries there." Nadia said with a wink. Minette just crossed her arms and pouted as Nadia concluded the story.

"...And so Minette's hand was jammed in the jar, JimBob and Patrick were trying to put out the fire, Squidsworth was stepping on rakes, and I was quite literally laughing my butt off." She concluded. "Ripster had his work cut out for him that day."

Harry softly giggled before coughing again. Nadia frowned, wishing she could just... make his illness go away. But she figured that this was probably the best thing she could do. And from what she could tell, Harry was quite happy. That made it all the worth while for her, seeing the little boy snuggled close, smiling up at her...

Even Minette ceased her pouting and smiled warmly at the pair. "Aww... You two are so adorable..." She said softly. "Already such a close relationship..."

Nadia smirked lightly. "Yeah, well... Ya don't save a kid's life and pull him off the streets when he's got nowhere else to go and let him into your home without bonding at least a little." Harry coughed again. "Eesh... That was a nasty one... You okay, kit?"

"Mmm... I wanna be comfy..." Harry mumbled. Nadia smirked and adjusted her hold on him so his head was resting on her breast.

"How's that for comfy?" She cooed.

Harry cooed in response and snuggled closer. She smiled and stroked his back gently. "You'll be better soon, kitten... You'll be better soon..." She whispered.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Minette blinked and tilted her head. "Huh... That's strange... We were snowed in... Is the snowstorm over?"

Nadia chuckled. "I think I know who that is. You know how Jimbob and Patrick like to help everyone out by unblocking their doors after a snowfall."

Nadia smiled, looking down at Harry and gently setting him down, earning a small whine from the tiny boy. "I'll be right back Kit." She patted his head. Harry nodded, seeming somewhat downcast as Nadia made her way to the door. Opening it, she saw two of her friends standing there.

The sponge and starfish Dagonians held snow shovels in their hands, and seemed to just be finishing up. "Hey, boys! Thanks fur helping out! Snow way out of there without your help!"

JimBob laughed. "No problem, Nadia! Anything to help out a friend, isn't that right, Patrick?" Patrick wasn't listening, still shovelling snow outside the perimeters of Nadia's house. "Uh... Pat, you can stop now." Patrick was too focused.

"Uh... guys, where's Squidsworth's house?" Nadia asked. Finally, Patrick realized he could stop.

"Oh, uh... Maybe it's under that big pile of snow over there." Indeed, there was a massive pile of snow in the shape of the squid Dagonian's house.

"...Whoops." Patrick added. "Do ya think he'll notice?" There was a very, very faint screaming coming from within, much like how Minette called for help when she had been getting trapped as of late. The three looked to one another, then Jimbob picked up his shovel.

"I'll get to that! Talk to you in a minute Nadia!" He exclaimed, before heading over to try and dig his 'friend' out from the snow.

Nadia chuckled and shook her head as the two friends dug away the snow from the house in record time, revealing Squidsworth gasping for air. He looked around in residue panic before noticing Jimbob and Patrick and narrowing his eyes. "Of course. It's always you two, isn't it? Nadia messes up my flowers sometimes, but the big stuff is always you."

"Well, possibly." Patrick mused. "But... did you ever consider that it was actually you?" Everyone present turned and looked at Patrick, how he was this dumb was a mystery even to them...

"Patrick, don't you have to be stupid somewhere else?" Squidsworth asked

"Not until three."

Squidsworth snorted and looked over at his house. "Greeeat... Now my house is gonna be covered in snow and ice..." He grumbld. Nadia chuckled.

"Hey, c'mon, Squiddy, don't be a grouch. Why don't you three come hang with Minette and I for a bit? We could use the company." Squidsworth looked at his most tolerable neighbour.

"Guess I have nothing better to do... Just don't let these two act like a couple of neanderthals." He pointed to Jimbob and Patrick.

"Gesundheit." Patrick replied.

"Gah... just... just don't bury my house again!"

"Then what do you want us to bury?" Patrick asked.

"Oh, I don't know. How about me so I don't have to deal with you two?!"

"Okay." Patrick shrugged.

"Whoa. Hold on Pat-" Jim began, but before he could finish, Patrick and dumped a mound of snow on Squidsworth.

The squid's eyes became noticeable from under the mound of snow and he exhaled in annoyance. "Let's just go inside before I get pneumonia..."

Chuckling, Nadia led the group inside where Minette waited. "Oh, hello, boys!" She greeted. "I'll make some hot cocoa. Nadia, you go check on Harry."

"Harry?" Jimbob asked curiously, Patrick and Squidsworth looking intrigued. "He a friend of yours?"

"Heh... You could say that, yeah." Nadia chuckled.

"Can we meet him?" Patrick asked.

Nadia thought about it for a moment, then smiled. "Sure, I gotta warn you, he's a little shy, but I think he'll be fine."

As Minette began preparing the hot cocoa, Nadia led the three boys upstairs. When they reached her bedroom door, she turned to them. "Okay, just lemme tell him you're here first. He's nervous, and I just got him off the street." The three nodded in affirmation and Nadia entered her room. They heard the cat feral softly talking to someone, using words like 'kitten' and 'hun' and 'it's okay'. After a moment, she stepped back out and nodded.

The three entered the room and saw the exhausted child lying in bed. Patrick was amazed. "Wooooow! That's the biggest kitten I've ever seen! ...Where'd all his fur go though?"

"He's not actually a kitten, Patrick." Squidward rolled his eyes. "It's just Nadia's obsession with cat jokes. He does look a bit familiar though..."

"Oh." Patrick blinked.

"This is Harry." Nadia said with a smile as the tiny boy looked up at the three. While Jimbob and Patrick seemed oblivious to his malnourishment, Squidsworth's mind quickly connected several dots and put together not only why this kid seemed so small, but what he was possibly doing on the street.

"H...Hi..." Harry finally got out.

"Hiya, Harry! I'm JimBob, and these are my best friends in the whole world, Patrick and Squidsworth!" Squidsworth facepalmed in annoyance.

"Actually, I'm just his acquaintance. Unfortunately..." Squidsworth grumbled. Harry's eyes lit up in recognition from the story, and he opened his mouth to speak, only to cough violently.

"Ooh... That's a nasty cough. Are you sick?" JimBob asked, concerned. Harry just nodded his head, not feeling up to answering verbally. "Ah... I remember when I got the suds... Being sick is awful. But hey... Good to see you're okay!"

Nadia blinked and tilted her head. "Huh? You see him before?" She asked. Jimbob nodded his head.

"Oh yeah, I saw him in the alley on my way to work. I tried to go and help him, but he ran off and disappeared into thin air. Not sure how he did it though... But he's safe now, and that's what's important!"

"Gotta agree with you there." Squidsworth nodded, his cranky demeanour seemingly gone, or he was acting to try and not upset Harry. Either way, Nadia was thankful.

The cat feral sighed softly and gently stroked Harry's cheek. "Heh... Yeah... I just got the little guy off the street yesterday... Seriously lucky I found him when I did..."

"Yeah, or else he would have turned into a little snowman. It would have been like Frosty, except with less happiness and joy and more going to sleep forever." Patrick commented.

Jim and Squidsworth actually turned and looked in shock at Patrick, thankfully, Harry didn't seem to understand what the comment meant. Nadia also didn't know how to react either. "...What?" Patrick finally blinked.

"Pat... that... just... no." Jimbob finally managed to find his voice.

"Let's not talk about 'going to sleep forever' in front of a kid that... Well, y'know." Squidsworth commented. Nadia nodded her head in appreciation.

"Sooo, you fellas have any questions for my little sicko?" Nadia asked as she playfully messed with the boy's hair.

"Um... Yeah... I think he needs new glasses. Those ones look kinda broken." Patrick remarked.

"Yeah, once he's feeling better there's some stuff I need to do with him." Nadia agreed. She had noted earlier how it seemed like he wasn't able to walk without them... Not that he could walk too well in his current state regardless.

"So who's the little guy met?" Jimbob then asked. "There's us, Minette..."

"That's all for right now." Nadia admitted. "I wouldn't mind him meeting some of the others later on, but one thing at a time."

"Probably for the best. People in this town are completely out of their mind. It's a cesspool of chaos and madness." Squidsworth commented. Nadia smirked.

"You sure do contribute to this cesspool of chaos and madness. Remember when the town sued that electronics company for everything they had because your security system made your house go on a rampage?"

"Don't remind me... Thank you again for keeping these two nitwits occupied the following Sunday."

"What happened to those guys? Are they still selling security systems?" Nadia asked. Squidsworth shrugged.

"Dunno, and not my problem. It was enough of a nightmare to get that stuff out of my house. Whatever they're up to, so long as it doesn't affect me, I really don't care."

"That's fair." Nadia conceded with a nod.

Harry coughed violently, and Squidsworth looked over with a soft "Hmm..." of contemplation. "Y'know, I have an old family remedy that might help out. A nice salve that always does the trick. You've used it before with the old gang, remember."

"And he's probably hungry too! Does your tummy hurt, Harry?" Harry tried to reply verbally, but his cough interrupted him, so he just shook his head. "One fresh patty comin' riiight up!"

As SpongeBob and Squidsworth left the room to prepare, Patrick decided he wanted to contribute in some way. "And I'll give him a pet rock!" He pulled a rock out of his pocket, set it on the bedside table and drew a smiley face on it.

Harry smiled at the pet rock, and Nadia giggled at the antics of her friends. While Squidsworth wouldn't admit it, he was a good person, and while Jimbob and Patrick could get on his nerves (all the time) he would consider them his friends, but again, he wouldn't say that (to them at least.) Nadia patted Harry's tiny head, the boy smiling up at her. It was great to see her friends so... accepting. Granted, she expected Jimbob and Patrick to be fine with almost anything she threw their way, but it seemed like there was more than their usual goofiness, like an actual layer of care now.

She could hear the voices of Minette, Squidsworth and Jimbob from the kitchen and smiled. A small get-together was forming here... She looked at Patrick. "Hey, big guy, mind helping me out with something?" Patrick turned to look at her, at full attention, and she led him downstairs. "Can ya just grab my TV and bring it up here so we can watch it and stay with Harry so he can rest off his cold?"

"Okay." Patrick shrugged, walking over to where Nadia was next to her tv.

"Let me just get a firm grasp on it-" She began, only for Patrick to lift the tv up himself as if it was a light as a feather. "Wha-"

"Hey, Patrick! I need your advice on something!" Jimbob happened to call, and Patrick set the tv back down, not noticing he put it on top of Nadia.

Nadia screeched out loud as the TV was set on her tail. She hurriedly removed it and rubbed her lower back with a light hiss. She gave Patrick an annoyed look. "Oh... Sorry. I'm not very good at multitasking." Patrick said sheepishly. Nadia just sighed in response

"Okay, well, just be careful not to wreck it."

"Gotcha." He nodded, picking up the tv once again and carrying it into another room. It still surprised her just how much brute strength Patrick had. She was thankful he was not someone who tired to extort people like the Medicis, or there might be an actual problem...

As Patrick carried the TV upstairs, Nadia looked into the kitchen. Squidsworth was carefully mixing the salve, JimBob was flipping patties and Minette was putting the finishing touches on the hot chocolate. The feral smirked in content. "All right, guys, meet us upstairs!" Nadia called out before making her way upstairs to make sure Patrick didn't damage anything.

Thankfully, the TV was seated safely in front of the bed, and Patrick just finished plugging it in as she entered the room. "There ya go! No problem!"

"Thank you." Harry said in a quiet voice. Patrick waved to him as Nadia came back in.

"Hey kit." She smiled. "Feeling any better?"

"Um... sorta." Harry nodded. "Your friends are nice."

"Aww, glad to hear that." She smiled sitting on the bed next to him, gently putting her hand on his forehead, she noted it was slightly cooler, but not by much.

She gave the boy a toothy grin and kissed his forehead. "I think you're starting to get better, kitten. Your forehead doesn't feel as hot as it did earlier." Harry perked up and smiled happily, glad to hear he wasn't going to be sick for the rest of his life. Chuckling, Nadia clambered into bed and held him close as she got under the blankets.

Soon enough, Jim, Squidsworth and Minette stepped up, Minette holding a tray of hot cocoa, Jim holding a huge tray of patties, and Squidsworth holding a bowl of salve. "All right, the medicine's all set. Just rub this salve onto Harry's back, and he'll be better in no time." The squid said proudly.

Nadia nodded and gently rubbed the mixture onto his back, Harry didn't seem to have the strength to react but it seemed to help somewhat. Harry looked up and smiled at his care taker, he really liked her... and he wished he could tell her... but he didn't know how.

Instead, he decided to thank the one who made the medicine. "Thank you, Mr. Squidsworth... Feels... nice..." He mumbled. Squidsworth smirked pridefully.

"Well of course it does. You're face to face with a genius, after all." He said proudly. JimBob set the tray of patties down on the bedside table.

"Help yourselves, everyone! I made plenty!"

"Plenty is right. Where'd you get all these patty ingredients?"

"Well, that's easy!" He opened a small compartment on his jacket to reveal pockets for every patty ingredient. "I'm always prepared! That's the way of the fry cook!"

Harry laughed slightly, he liked Nadia's friends, they were really nice. Although carrying food seemed odd, Harry didn't much care once he tried the burger. It was amazing! "So good... Better than what I make." He mumbled.

The group all turned to look at him. "Wow, thanks, Harry, but uh... You? Cooking? Aren'tcha a little... y'know... small for that?" Harry looked at his burger.

"I... I dunno... Maybe..." Nadia looked at the group with an expression that said "I'll explain later" before petting Harry's head gently with a smile.

"Well, that's not important right now, kit. We'll talk about it some other time. For now, let's all just watch some TV and hang out for a little while."

The others agreed and found themselves flipping through the channels. The group dynamic made things a bit weird for finding something everyone agreed with, but eventually they had settled on a tv show called 'Scott the Wiz'. He was a kooky, hyperactive guy who discussed... weird and bizarre goings-on. "Hey all, Scott here!" He introduced himself.

The group watched the TV in relative silence, each seeming relatively content with it. From her place in bed, Nadia gazed down at Harry, who seemed at peace. The Feral grinned and messed up his hair playfully. "Not half bad for a sick day, huh, Harry?" She asked. Harry simply nodded and nestled in closer.

'I think Minette's right...' Nadia mused to herself. 'Maybe I am becoming his mom... Still, if he lost his, I don't want him to think I'm trying to take him away from her...'

'Maybe I can trust Miss Nadia...' Harry thought. 'She doesn't seem to think I'm a freak... But I don't want to be a burden to her...'

Both of them didn't make their internal thoughts known in the slightest. Instead, they just decided to enjoy the moment with friends. They watched TV for hours.

Eventually, JimBob got up. "Well... I'd better get going... Gotta get up for work tomorrow!"

"Yeah, me too..." Squidsworth sighed, getting up and stretching.

"And I have other places to be. I'm scheduled to be stupid at the Krusty Krustacean tomorrow at eight, and I can't cancel again."

Harry looked confused at Patrick and Nadia patted his head. "Don't worry about him. He's just a bit goofy." Nadia said softly.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Harry! Hope to see you around!" Jimbob said with a smile.

"Same here!" Patrick added.

"Hope the salve helps." Squidsworth said with a nod as the trio walked out the door. "Bye! Thank you for everything!" Harry called out.

At the sound of the door closing, Nadia turned to Minette. "You gonna head back too, or do you wanna stick around for a little more?"

"I think I need to get back to the restaurant. You keep taking care of the little dear and call me if you need anything."

"Alright, I will." Nadia smiled. "Thanks for everything Minette."

"Hey, glad I could help."

The minnow Dagonian left out the front door, and Harry and Nadia were now left alone. Smiling softly, Nadia knelt down at Harry's side and kissed his cheek. "Just you and me now, kitten. Hang in there. I'm gonna getcha through this sick mess." Nadia assured Harry gently. He looked up at her with a cute smile.

"Thank you Miss Nadia..." He said softly before yawning. Nadia chuckled when she saw he was getting sleepy and slipped into bed next to him, hugging him close and curling around him the best she could.

Harry closed his eyes. He felt warm and safe and he loved this. Nadia smiled down at the sleeping boy, now finally seeming to rest without the fear she had seen recently... Although she had a feeling that those fears weren't gone just yet, and she frowned, knowing things probably were gonna get a bit worse before they got better.

But that was what she was here for. She was here to protect him. To make sure he was happy and cared for. To give him a shoulder to cry on if he needed it. She gently nuzzled him with her cheek, resting her chin atop his head and tightening her hold on him gently to ensure he felt safe and comfy. "You're gonna be all right, kitten... You're safe... I gotcha... And I'm gonna get you through this... That's a promise..." She whispered softly into his ear.

Harry nuzzled closer with a content smile. He believed Miss Nadia, he believed she'd keep him safe, that she wouldn't hurt him... But... why? He was a freak... Or maybe... Maybe he wasn't, maybe Miss Fortune was right.

He decided not to dwell on it and just live in the moment for now. The little boy simly nuzzled in closer and let sleep slowly overtake him... Nadia smiled softly at the sound of his little snores, and sighed deeply at just how busy the past two days had been. Finding a child... Taking him in... Introducing him to friends... She closed her eyes with a small smile, her tail swishing about under the blankets. She felt happy. She was grateful to have found little Harry.

She still wanted to figure out what had happened to the poor little guy (aside from what she knew) but for now, she settled for keeping the little kit cozy. She heard Harry snoring softly in her embrace, clearly happy. Nadia felt a sense of pride at being able to take care of this little kid.

Letting out a feline-sounding meow, the feral woman closed her eyes and let sleep claim her. The two of them slept peacefully that night.


	4. Chapter 4

When the morning came, Nadia yawned and stretched out. "Mornin' Kit..." She said, still half-asleep, only to not get a response. "Kit?" She asked again. Still nothing. Looking around, she frowned when she saw Harry was gone. Had he gone to the bathroom? She didn't hear anything...

She heard the sound of his coughing coming from the kitchen, and happily noted that it sounded significantly better than it did the past two days. But then she realized she smelled something cooking. Eyes wide, she hopped out of bed and hurriedly made her way downstairs, rushing into the kitchen to find Harry was cooking breakfast.

"Morning, Miss Nadia..." Harry mumbled, his small legs shaking somewhat as he was making some eggs. Nadia rushed over and scooped Harry up into her arms, looking him over, her eyes widening in horror and watering when she saw some burns on his tiny arms.

"Oh my gosh... Kitten, what are you doing...?! You shouldn't be cooking, you're WAY too little and you're too sick...!" She turned off the stove. "C'mere... Let's try and fix your burns now..." Gently, she held his arm under the sink nozzle and turned on the cold water, allowing the cool liquid to flow over his tiny arms.

Harry let out a small whimper and winced at the slight sting. Nadia frowned sadly and kissed his head. "Sorry kit..." She cooed softly, gently washing him over with cooling water. "I know this isn't comfortable... but we gotta make sure your burns aren't gonna get worse..."

"M'kay..."

She carefully rinsed over him with the water before opening up the cupboard and pulling out a tube of ointment. Gently, she squeezed some onto her palm, then gently rubbed it over the burns. Harry relaxed at the feeling of the ointment, feeling his burns cool almost instantly. Nadia sighed softly, then pulled the little boy into a tight hug."Aw, kit, what were you doing...?" She said softly. "Cooking is not a job for a tiny little guy like you..."

"But... I thought I had to." Harry softly replied.

"What? Why would you think that?" Nadia asked, genuinely confused as to why such a tiny boy would have to do such stren- It was his family. The thought hit her like a truck as everything seemed to connect just a little bit more, and with each connection, it felt like another nightmare opening.

She wordlessly snatched him up and cuddled him close to her shoulder. "Kitten... Cooking is the job of the grownups. You're just a little boy. You're too young..."

"But... But I always got in trouble if I didn't do it in time..." Harry whimpered. Nadia nuzzled him before pressing her forehead against his and looking him in the eye.

"They're bad people, kit... They hurt you for no reason..."

Harry didn't respond. He looked down sadly, and Nadia wasn't entirely sure what to say. Finally, she settled on kissing his forehead to try and cheer him up somewhat. It seemed to work, as Harry blushed sightly. But it didn't cheer him up the way her contact had recently. "Kit, is there something you need to tell me?" She softly spoke.

Harry looked up, then opened his mouth as if to speak, then whimpeted softly. Nadia carried him into the living room and took a seat on the couch. "Kitten... I'm listening... Go ahead. Tell me everything. I promise you won't get hurt for it... I'm here to keep ya safe. So go on... Let's hear it... What did they do to you...?"

Harry looked down, whimpering, then began to quietly cry. Nadia frowned and held him closer. "I...I'm scared..." Harry finally got out, not wanting to look up at Nadia.

"What did they do to you?" She softly asked, gently lifting Harry's head up to look her in the eyes.

Harry took a deep, shaky breath, then quietly told her everything. First their refusal to properly feed him, leaving him with some bread every day. Then, when his uncle started beating him. Nadia listened intently as he told her everything, her expression slowly molding into one of horrified anger as he described worse and more horrific scenarios. She wanted it to be fake... She wanted it to just be the imagination of an abused child... But the fear in his eyes and body language told her that it was true...

For the first time in a long time, Nadia didn't know how to respond, or even how to feel. She hadn't felt this kind of pain since she lost everyone close to her, and then being cut apart... But all that seemed to pale in comparison with what Harry went through. The physical abuse, the psychological abuse... It was horrific. Nadia remained silent, nodding every now and then to signify she was listening, and kept a warm grip on Harry, trying to comfort him.

When he finally finished talking, she tightened her hold on him, squeezing gently to make him feel safe. "Kitten... I'm... I'm so sorry... You shouldn't... Oh my God you poor little guy..." Harry whimpered, and Nadia noticed his trembling. "...Kitten...? You're bottling up your tears right now... Aren't you...?"

"I-I'm not allowed to cry... My uncle-"

"Isn't here." Nadia interrupted gently. "Your aunt isn't here. Your cousin isn't here. I am here. And I say it's okay." Still, he hesitated. "Kitten... Those people... They did terrible things to you... Things that would make a grown man cry... You're just a little boy... It's only natural you'd want to cry after all you've been through..." She held him up against her shoulder, gently rubbing his back. "Go on, kitten... Just go ahead...let it out...and have yourself a cry... You're in the perfect place for it... Nice and snug, in the arms of someone that loves you..."

Harry tried to fight it, but eventually all the emotional pain he had been through overtook him. Nadia watched sadly as Harry seemed to outright break, crying deeply into her chest, seemingly unable to control it. Nadia sat quietly, holding Harry comfortingly as he let everything out. His pain, his fear, all of it. Nadia wished this would help him... but she also knew that this was probably just the beginning of a long recovery. But she promised to herself and Harry that she'd be there for him the whole way.

She gently stroked the back of his head and squeezed him as tightly as she could without hurting him. Each sob hurt to listen to... But it was necessary... "That's it, sweetie, let it out... I gotcha..." She whispered softly. Then, she began to purr softly in her attempts to soothe his emotional state. Harry heard the low, soft rumbling, and it reminded him that he was safe and loved. As a result, it made him cry even harder because this wasn't how he'd felt for the first five years of his life.

Nadia sighed gently, continuing to hold him close. Nadia pulled the blanket over the two of them to try and keep him warm and snug. She didn't know if it would help, but right now she didn't much care. The poor little guy had been through so much, and only now was he ever allowed to open up and finally be honest about it. Not to mention the fears of them hurting him...

She cuddled him close for an hour, gently running her fingers through his hair, continuing her purring to keep him at least a little bit comforted. After what felt like an eternity, little Harry Potter finally stopped crying. Now, he was simply shaking violently in her arms, hiccuping from the hour of crying.

Nadia lay back on the couch, holding the whimpering Harry close to her chest. She held him in a tight hug as he continued whimpering. "Hey, it's alright sweetie..." Nadia cooed softly, rubbing his back. "I got you now kit. I'll keep you safe, and you'll never be hurt here." Harry didn't reply, and Nadia didn't expect him to.

She just laid there with him for another half-hour, cuddling him close and doing her all to make him feel safe and happy. His shaking slowly died down, and he laid atop Nadia, rock still. Nadia smiled sadly, then sat up. "C'mon, hun... Let's go get you some breakfast... Crying like that's always gonna make ya hungry... Heh..."

Harry didn't reply, but buried his face into Nadia's shoulder. She carried him into the kitchen, and didn't have the heart to set him down. So, she began making something for him (deciding on grilled cheese) while holding him. The kit needed it.

As the sandwich cooked, she took a seat in one of the chairs and gently scratched his tiny back. He was so tiny... So frail and delicate and damaged... It all made sense now... His fearful nature, his time on the streets, the injuries before getting put into the healing water... It all came from his own family...

She was still at a loss for words, she just wanted to keep Harry safe no matter what happened. She wanted to make sure no one would ever hurt him again.

She kissed his head gently and nuzzled him. "It's okay... I'm here for ya... I gotcha..." She whispered softly. Harry hugged back as tightly as he could. Soon enough, Harry's sandwich was done cooking. Nadia carefully put it down on a plate and carried it to the table. She considered setting Harry down... But she decided against it. She wanted to hold him more... Grabbing the sandwich, she held it up for him to bite into it, which he did thankfully. As he chewed his sandwich, he looked up at her with a look of pure adoration.

"Thank you." He softly said. Nadia laughed gently and kissed his head.

"Don't mention it, kit." She said, gently patting his back. "Just enjoy your lunch, then we'll talk afterwards." Harry nodded in understanding and went back to his sandwich, clearly enjoying every bite.

Nadia watched him eat fondly. She really cared about this little boy... And she wanted to protect him with her life. Harry ate quietly until the sandwich was gone. Nadia held him up against her shoulder and rubbed his back gently. "Atta boy, kitten... Eating all your food like a good boy..." She whispered softly. She smiled at his small, content hum, and kissed his cheek. "Okay... Okay, so I'm gonna make something very clear to you, Harry..." Harry looked up at her. "I will NEVER let those pieces of garbage hurt you again. EVER. If they try, they will be lucky to spend the rest of their miserable lives sipping food through a straw in the emergency room."

Harry looked frightened, and before Nadia could explain, Harry spoke. "But... I deserved it." That broke Nadia's heart to hear. She held him close again and nuzzled the top of his head.

"No you don't, kit." She whispered. "You never did, and you never could."

"But... But I... I..." Harry fumbled for excuses to defend his 'family', but found himself coming up short, no matter how hard he tried. Finally, he just whimpered.

Nadia tightened her hold on him and rested her chin on his head. "Harry... You live in my house... You're a part of MY family now... Not theirs." She kissed his forehead. "They don't deserve to be considered members of your family... If someone hurts you like that, they don't deserve to be a part of your life, and they never did."

Harry stared in disbelief, then began crying again. Nadia adjusted him in her arms and rested his head on her shoulder. She gently rubbed his back and let him cry it out. She knew this was the best thing for him. "It's okay kit, it's okay." She cooed softly.

He sobbed for fifteen minutes before calming down, burying his face in her shoulder and clutching tightly at her top. She nuzzled him gently and purred to comfort him. "You're okay, kit... You're gonna be just fine..." She whispered softly into his ear. He let out a soft hum in response but didn't reply, too tired out from crying so much.

Now the pair remained where they where, Nadia gently cooing softly to him, and rocking him in her arms. The poor thing needed sleep now... he was clearly emotionally and physically exhausted after what he had just told her about. She just held him close protectively, motherly...

She leaned forward and kissed his cheek gently, then pressed her forehead against his. "Go on and get some sleep, kitten... When you wake up, we'll so some fun stuff." Harry coughed lightly, nodded, then closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep in Nadia's arms. The feral's tail swished about behind her as she smiled lovingly at him. 'All right... Better think of some nice things to do with him when he wakes up...' She thought. 'Maybe dust off that old game console of mine...'

For now though, Nadia was content to just hold Harry close, thinking about what they could do later, but also keeping him cozy. Nadia was proud of him. It was clear it hurt what he had just talked about, but he got it out, and that's what mattered. "Huh... never really had a kid around here..." She mused. "Guess I never thought I'd be taking care of one..."

Indeed, her ways of entertaining a child were a bit limited. She'd have to get the boy some new toys so he could keep himself entertained... Then she remembered that there were only three weeks until Christmas arrived... And she hadn't begun decorating yet. Perhaps he'd enjoy helping with that when he was better! And then there was the idea of getting him presents... He deserved some nice new things. He deserved presents under the tree on Christmas morning...

She sighed and reclined on her couch, Harry laying atop her like a mattress as she absentmindedly rubbed his tiny head. God he was so tiny... He whimpered slightly in his sleep, and she tightened her hold on him and purred softly into his ear, soothing him into peace in her arms.

Harry's peaceful sleeping returned, and Nadia smiled sadly, happy to see him sleeping peacefully, but also saddened by the nightmares he was probably stuck with... Still, she'd help him overcome them.

"You're gonna be okay, kitten... Miss Nadia's here..." She whispered before turning on the TV. She watched the local news, and was pleasantly surprised at what she saw.

"...And in other news, the little boy rumoured to be wanderig homeless on Little Innsmouth streets has been confirmed to have been found and taken in by the city's very own hero, Nadia Fortune. I would imagine this incident has made her a true hero in the eyes of this child."

"Huh." She smiled. "Well, I hope this means I'm not gonna be swarmed..." She paused, half expecting that very thing to happen. But the silence remained. All that happened was a message for Minette saying 'Did you see the news!?' Nadia chuckled, she could reply later. She had a cozy kit snuggled up with her, and she didn't want to disturb him.

She spent about two hours lazily browsing channels until she felt stirring in her arms. Harry yawned adorably as he woke up, tiredly rubbing his eyes. "Have a good nap, kitten?" Nadia asked gently. Harry gave her a tired smile and leaned against her breast. Nadia's heart melted at the look of adoration on his face.

"Thsnk you, Miss Fortune... Thank you so much... For everything..." He said softly.

"Daw... Don't mention it, kit." She grinned, holding him close. "You're such a cute little guy... and you're so cuddly." Harry seemed to blush somewhat in his tired state, Nadia found it to be absolutely adorable. She let the tiny boy continue to go back and forth between waking up and falling back asleep. Finally, he managed to wake himself up.

He coughed lightly, and Nadia gave him a toothy grin. "Well, would ya look at that. All that bedrest totally paid off. You're already close to being better, kitten!" Harry perked up, realizing he was, indeed, feeling a lot better than he had been, his coughs coming less frequently and his sneezes as well.

"It's cause you and everyone else took really good care of me... Thank you, Miss Fortune..." He mumbled before burying his face in her chest.

At first, Nadia thought he was going to cry again. But then she saw his tiny, content smile. It was clear he was trying to hug her. Nadia chuckled softly and let him snuggle closer still. Who was she to say no to the kit? She patted his head, earning a tiny coo from the boy.

"Heh... You're such a good little guy..." She chuckled, stroking his back gently, lightly scratching it with her claws in a soothing manner. She looked up at the ceiling, trying to figure out something to do. The two of them ended up spending two hours just lazily cuddling each other in front of the TV. Eventually, Nadia got an idea. "Heeeey, kitten... How'd ya like to help Miss Fortune do a little baking?" She asked. "I know how to make one heck of a good cake."

Harry's eyes lit up at the question. "Yes please!" He said excitedly. "Uh... I mean... if you want me to..." Nadia laughed at his little excitement and adjusted him in her arms.

"Well, let's get to work." She said with a grin.

She carried him into the kitchen, giving him a pair of rubber gloves so he could help, as he was still sick and she didn't want to get cold germs in the cake. She grabbed a stool for Harry, then set him on it and grabbed the cake mix from the cupboard. "All right, chef Harry! You all set to get to cookin'?"

"Mmhmm." Harry nodded. Nadia smiled down at him and set to work. She had Harry break the eggs into the bowl, then she added the mix and some flavouring. Harry then stirred it for a bit until his arms got tired, then Nadia took over for him.

Nadia was quite impressed with just how on top of it Harry was at cooking. For such a little boy, he seemed to really know what he was doing. He had some really good ideas too. Marshmallows in cake wasn't something she'd thought of... But it sounded nice. He seemed to really enjoy doing it too. He looked visibly happy to be cooking with her. This was an interest she would have to nurture and work with him on... Yu-Wan very well might have a little rival in the making.

Eventually, the cake was in the oven, and Nadia turned back to Harry. She laughed slightly at the mess on him and scooped him up again. "C'mon. Let's get you cleaned up." She grinned, carrying him over to the counter and setting him next to the sink.

Wetting a washcloth, she gently scrubbed down his little face, cleaning off chocolate frosting and cake batter, smiling and nodding in content after finishing. "Clean as a whistle!" She chirped before picking him up and placing him down on a kitchen chair. "Now, whattya say you and I play some cards while she bakes?"

"I don't know how..." Harry mumbled.

"Aw, don't worry! I'll teach you." Nadia smiled. She set Harry down on a chair and sat across from him. She picked up a deck of cards and began shuffling it. She figured she'd teach him something simple first.

"All right, we're gonna play a game of go-fish." Harry blinked and tilted his head curiously. Grinning, Nadia explained the rules, and he seemed to catch on. The two played the game, and Nadia beamed when she saw that the little boy was having a good time. His cute little smile melted her heart.

Harry won the first two rounds, and Nadia decided to stop taking it easy on him. However, when she felt the next hand, Harry put two pairs down at the start. "But... how..." She muttered, looking at her own hand, which was a anarchic mess of suits, numbers and colours. "All right..."

Harry won again, and Nadia beamed at him. "Gotta say, kit, I'm impressed! No one's ever beaten me at cards before! Heh... You'll be a real winner at the casinos someday. Maybe get Miss Nadia into a super nice retirement home with all the money you'll make." She joked.

"Casinos?" Harry asked, confused.

"Oh, uh... you'll know when you're older." She chuckled, shaking her head. "Alright... How about we try another game?" Harry nodded eagerly and Nadia began shuffling the cards up again.

"All right, this one's called 'memory'." Nadia explained. And so this was how they spent the next couple of hours, just playing card games as the cake baked. "Wow, kitten, you're a good little learner." Nadia praised, ruffling his hair. Harry smiled at the contact, and then the ding of the oven notified them that the cake was done.

"Ooh! The cake's done!" Nadia grinned, getting up and heading back to the oven. She pulled the cake out and inhaled the smell. "This smells amazing, kit!" She said with a grin. "Let's let it cool, then we'll eat."

"Okay Miss Fortune." Harry nodded.

She smiled, set the cake down on the counter, then picked him up and took a seat on the couch. "C'mon, hun, let's watch some cartoons." Harry smiled brightly as the colourful cartoons came on the screen once again. Nadia chuckled in amusement at just how mesmerized he was.

Then again, there was the very likely possibility that Harry had never been allowed to watch them, and therefore had never experienced them. It was kind of heartbreaking to Nadia, but he was happy now, and that's what mattered most. She intended to make him as happy as he could possibly be.

She sat in place for two hours, cuddling the boy close and smiling warmly as she looked at the TV. These shows weren't for her age demographic... But hey... They'd help the kid learn. After an episode of Poppy Street teaching about the letter I, Nadia looked down at Harry. "So, whattya say, kitten? Ya ready to go and decorate that cake?"

"Yes please!" Harry said with genuine excitement. Nadia chuckled and picked him up, holding him in one arm as she walked back to the kitchen. She set to work gathering what they'd need, all the while making sure Harry was secure.

"Alright, let's see..." She mused, looking at what she had.

"Okay, icing, sprinkles, candies... Okay, we got this. What kind of icing do you wanna use?" Harry pointed to the vanilla icing. Nadia thought it was a bit odd to use vanilla icing on chocolate cake, but she decided it was healthy for Harry to experiment with his interests.

She held Harry as he spread the frosting around the cake. More than a few times Nadia blinked in surprise at how... almost professionally Harry did it. It seemed like he had been doing it his entire life- Right. He probably had... Nadia shook her head to make sure Harry didn't see her frown, and gave him a playful kiss on the head.

He giggled at the kiss and finished adding the icing. Nadia marveled at the sight of it. "Wow, kitten, good job. You're a real little baker, aren'tcha?" Harry beamed at her praise, then began carefully adding candy and sprinkles. Nadia watched him prepare the decor, and her eyes widened when she realized what he had made on the cake. A picture of them. Holding hands and smiling.

Nadia looked at the cake, almost in disbelief at what she had seen. Then she hugged Harry as tightly as she could, kissing his face all over. Harry was a bit shocked by the sudden tight hug, but knew Miss Fortune was being nice to him. "Do you like it?" He timidly asked.

"Kitten... I freaking LOVE it. You're such a good little guy, you know that?" The feral woman said with a warm smile before nuzzling his face gently. Harry smiled happily at the praise and shyly nuzzled back. Chuckling, Nadia picked him up, set him down at the table, and carried the cake over to the table. "Y'know, kit... This is actually perfect. Completely fitting... Because this cake is a celebration of me taking you into my house. Heh... You're a clever little guy..."

Harry blushed, looking down. He hadn't been thinking of that... he just wanted to tell Miss Fortune that he was thankful for everything she had done for him, and he didn't know what exactly he could do. So he had settled on making this for her.

Nadia smiled down at the cake before looking over at Harry. "Y'know, it's a real shame to eat this... How about sometime in the near future, I go out, get ya some crayons, and you can draw a more permanent picture?"

Harry perked up at the idea. "C-Can we put it up on the fridge...?" He asked timidly, remembering the fridge covered in Dudley's drawings back at the Dursley's home.

"Heh... Honestly, kitten? I might just end up framing it and putting it up in the living room." Nadia chuckled, messing with the boy's hair.

"Thank you." Harry said with a warm smile.

"C'mon, let's have some cake." Nadia grinned, setting Harry on the table as she began cutting herself and Harry some cake. Holding the two plates in one arm and Harry the other, she carried him back to the couch and sat down with the tiny boy on her lap.

Handing the boy his cake, she flipped the TV back on, and they watched while eating their cake. Harry was absolutely overjoyed to be spending this time with his caregiver. "Kitten? You are a genius." Nadia said with a grin, messing with his hair. "Those little touches you added really make all the difference. You'll make a great chef one day."

"Thank you, Miss Fortune." Harry said sheepishly. Nadia smiled and kissed him on the head again.

"Hey, don't be so timid. It's okay to be proud of what you're good at." She said.

"I... I didn't know I could."

"Well... You can." Nadia said simply, her ears drooping slightly. Harry seemed happy with her praise and ate his cake, content with his new quality of life.

"M-Ms. Fortune...?" He said timidly. Nadia looked down at him with a smile and tilted her head to show she was listening. "I'm... I'm really glad you found me... Thank you for saving me... You're... You're the best ever..."

"Aw, I'm glad I found you too, kit." She grinned, hugging him close. "You're just a sweet little guy, and I like having you here." Harry blushed and tried to hug Nadia's waist. The older woman giggled softly and hugged him a bit tighter. "You're a real cuddler. I like that."

They set their plates down on the table, and Nadia leaned back, content to snuggle with him. "Man... I need to break out those Christmas decorations..."

"Christmas decorations...? Can I help you put them up...?" Harry asked softly yet eagerly. Nadia gave him a toothy grin and bumped her nose against his lightly.

"Ya sure can, kitten. We're gonna turn this little house into a Christmas wonderland!" She said boisterously, getting the little boy to giggle softly.

"That a sound I like to hear." Nadia cooed, gently tickling Harry to try and get another laugh. Thankfully, her ploy worked and Harry giggled. "Ooh... you seem ticklish.." Harry giggled again and wrapped his tiny arms around her neck. It was an adorable gesture...

She cuddled him close and kissed his cheek gently. "Heh... All right, kitten, you think you're feeling well enough to get started?" Harry nodded.

"I-I don't feel as sleepy, and I think the cough is almost gone... It doesn't hurt as much as it did..." He said softly. Nadia's tail swished about behind her.

"Good to know... All right, you wait right here. I'll go and get the bins out." Setting Harry down gently, she made her way up to the attic to collect the decorations.

Harry remained wrapped up in the blanket Nadia had left him in. He felt safe and warm. Miss Fortune really did care for him, and he loved her for it. He didn't know what he did to deserve it, but maybe she was right, maybe he wasn't a freak...

Eventually, Nadia returned with two bins of decorations in her arms. She set them down and gave Harry a fanged grin before opening one up. "Sooo I don't have that much. Simple but effective. Just a buncha lights, some garland, a fake tree, all that good stuff." She explained, showing him some tree ornaments.

Harry seemed completely enthralled by it nonetheless. She smiled at the tiny boy and picked him up in one arm, and picked up some lights in the other. "Well, let's get to it." She smiled.

She got a little stool for Harry and had him hold onto the lights while she attached them to the walls. He was a good little helper, and it was so cute. After about two hours, the lights were put up all around the house, some of them mixed in with the garland. Now they were working on decorating the tree.

Nadia held Harry up as he put some more of the decorations onto the tree. He seemed to be meticulously placing them, as if this was a delicate procedure. Nadia was enjoying herself. This was a new feeling for her. Sure, she had spent Christmases with her friends before, but having a little kit like Harry around... felt right.

She quickly began thinking. Since he was now a part of her life, she would have to get gifts for him as well as her other friends. So what would she get him...? She began to make a small list in her mind of things she thought Harry would enjoy, her tail swishing behind her at the thought of his face on Christmas morning...

Harry had finished putting the ornaments up on the tree, and smiled, feeling satisfied. "Looks great, kit." Nadia said, kissing Harry on the head. "You did a great job."

"Thank you Miss Fortune." Harry said, liking the praise he got form Miss Fortune. It was new to him... and he wanted to make her happy.

Smirking, she carried him over to the kitchen, where the switch for the Christmas lights awaited them. "All right, let's light the place up!" With the flick of a switch, all the Christmas lights flipped on at once, bathing the entire house in a multi-coloured light of every colour imagineable.

Nadia always enjoyed this, but there was something so precious about Harry's reaction. His wyes went wide with wonder as he looked around. She had a bad feeling this was the first time he had ever been able to enjoy this time of year, but that made it all the more special. She held him gently in her arms and turned around, letting him take in the entire room.

"It's... It's pretty... So pretty..." He breathed, entranced by what he was seeing. Nadia chuckled and kissed his cheek gently, loving the wonder in his eyes.

"Yeah... It really is..." She agreed. "It's the best time of the year to be a kid, isn't it? Heh... Lots of snow to play in... Twinkly lights... Christmas coming up fast..."

"Christmas?" Harry asked, somewhat confused.

"Oh, have you never celebrated it?" Nadia asked with a cocked head. "Well, Christmas is a celebration when you spend time with the people you care for. And you play games and..." She trailed off when she saw Harry's excitement slowly turning to sadness. "What's wrong, Kit?"

"My cousin got to have that... Christmas I mean... But I wasn't allowed... I... I asked once and got beat up for it..." He looked down, and Nadia hugged him tightly.

"Well, Harry... You'd better be ready to have the best Christmas season ever." She said softly, gently nuzzling the top of his head with her cheek.

"Thank you..." Harry said quietly, leaning into the affection. Nadia was enjoying the cute moment, but also felt a fury of hatred forming inside her. How could they do this to such a little boy!?

'Whatever. He's safe now.' She reasoned. 'I don't think there's much you can do about them now...'

She bristled very slightly, gritting her teeth through a closed mouth. 'That fat bastard better not come back to this town, because if he does...' She raged inwardly. Harry seemed to pick up on her anger and flinched slightly, causing her to force herself to relax as she kissed his head. "Not mad at you, kit... Not mad at you..."

"Oh. Um... I'm not used to that." Harry said quietly, and Nadia frowned sadly at that remark.

"Well, don't worry. I don't think you could ever make me angry." She grinned at the tiny boy in her arms. "You're far too sweet for that."

Harry smiled in content and rested his head on her shoulder, allowing her to pick him up and carry him back to the couch. Taking a seat, she wrapped him in a blanket. "All right, kitten, I think it's a perfect time for you to take a nice nap." She cooed softly into his ear. Smiling, Harry closed his eyes and snuggled in closer, making himself comfy.

Nadia adjusted her arms so he was sitting in one and being held by the other. Looking down, Nadia let out a soft 'D'aw...' when she saw the tiny boy began absentmindedly sucking on his thumb in his sleep. He really was too cute... 'You enjoy your nap, kit.' Nadia smiled warmly. 'Now... what would a little boy want for Christmas?'

She rested against her couch and began formulating her plans to give Harry the best Christmas she possibly could. Minette already bought him plush toys... Maybe he'd be into action figures... Or those little toy cars... Or that play-dough stuff she used to have as a kid and absolutely did not eat at any point no sir.

She heard a soft coo and looked down to see Harry squirming for a moment in his sleep, then letting out a sigh in his sleep as he cuddled close to her. "Poor kit..." She thought. "He'd probably be happy with anything so long as I gave it to him..."

She chuckled softly and nuzzled him gently. "I'll just have to wing it... But I promise you'll like whatever I bring ya..." She whispered into his ear. Sighing, she looked at the ceiling and began thinking of all the other ways she could make this Christmas season meaningful for him... Perhaps Christmas baking...

He certainly seemed to enjoy making the cake for her. Maybe some Christmas movies? She cast a glance over to her shelf, she had 'Christmas Movies' but... she figured Harry wasn't ready for them. 'Die Harsh, no... Gremlinz... no...' she frowned.

She noted she needed to make a quick trip to the video store. She needed to find movies like Randolf the Crimson-Nosed Moose, Snowy the Snowman, Saint Nick is Coming to town, and so on and so forth. Then again, she could probably find these things on the TV. It was the season to play these films after alll... Grabbing the remote, she checked the TV schedule. This Saturday was a marathon of a bunch of Bankin/Rass movies. Looked like their plans for the weekend were set.

She liked this. Maybe being a mom was something she could do. Not just 'Miss Fortune' or Harry's caregiver... Maybe... maybe she could be a maternal figure to the small boy. 'Still, it'll be up to him to decide if he wants that or not.' Nadia mentally remarked. 'I don't wanna force anything on the kit...'

Chuckling softly, she rested her chin atop Harry's head and watched the television for approximately an hour, waiting patiently for Harry to wake up. She felt him stir in her arms and beamed down at him. "Up and at 'em, little kitten."

Harry yawned and began shaking his head, looking around timidly before looking up at Nadia. "Hi, Miss Fortune..." Harry mumbled.

"Hi to you too, kit." She smirked. "Did you have a good nap?"

"Mmhmm..." Harry nodded.

"Good to know, good to know..." The cat feral stroked his back gently as she rocked him to and fro in her arms. "Everything's good... right, little guy?"

"Um... If...If I'm here... With you... Then... yes..." Harry replied shyly, snuggling in closer. Nadia chuckled and kissed his temple gently.

"You are so sweet." She cooed. "You wanna help me make supper?"

"Okay." Harry nodded, still partially asleep, but he seemed happy at the prospect. Nadia smirked and carried him back to the kitchen.

"First, you need to wake up." She said teasingly.

Harry yawned and stretched his little arms, trying to force the sleepiness out of his system. Nadia chuckled in amusement and ruffled his hair when he finished. "I think that'll do, kitten. C'mon, let's go make some food. I'm gonna teach ya how to make my tuna casserole. Heh... My friends LOVE my tuna casserole."

"Okay." Harry nodded, letting Nadia set him down again. The two set to work. Nadia got the pot out and let Harry begin pouring the casserole noodles into a bowl while Nadia opened a can of tuna.

Nadia happily taught her little charge how to properly prepare the meal. "...And then we sprinkle in the green onions, like this... And then, a little beef..." Harry hung onto her every word and made sure to follow her instructions down to the letter, wanting to help make the food the best it could be.

This didn't go unnoticed by Nadia, who smiled and messed with his hair playfully. "Hey, don't worry Kit. Even if we make a mistake, I appreciate your enthusiasm."

"But... I want to make it right." Harry said quietly, looking down slightly. It occurred to Nadia that Harry probably had perfectionism forced into him by his relatives. She frowned slightly, then smiled again.

"Hey, don't worry." She said softly. "If you make a mistake, that's fine."

Harry nodded to signify that he was listening... But he also had every intention of making it the best he possibly could regardless of what his caregiver said. Nadia saw how hard he was trying and smiled sadly. Even if it was beaten into him... His perfectionism was not inherently a bad trait to have. But she would have to raise him not to go overboard with it... His health, both mental and physical, was far more important to her than perfection.

She hugged him close and patted his head. "Heh, you're too sweet, kit." She said softly, before turning back to the food. "Alright, next we need..." The two kept at it for quite awhile. When the casserole was finally in the oven, Nadia sighed and sat down with Harry on her lap again.

"All right, my little pro chef in the making, we got about thirty minutes before the casserole's finished cooking, soooo you know what that means... SNUGGLE TIME!"

"Yay..." Harry cheered softly, leaning against her contently.

Nadia smiled down at him, pulling him close into her embrace. She loved this... She really did. He was so tiny, so cuddly... she wished she could just hold him forever. Ah well, she'd enjoy every moment nonetheless.

She leaned down, purring and nuzzling his head, periodically giggling at how affectionate and cuddly her little guy was being. She was amazed at just how much she grew to love him... Harry was content as well, innocently closing his eyes and keeping his thumb in his mouth as she cuddled him close to her chest and stroked his head.

Was this what having a mother was like? Harry subconsciously wondered. Was that what Miss Nadia was? He didn't know how to react to it, he was so thankful, so happy, and he didn't want to make her hate him, and he was afraid she'd throw him away if he asked... But there was also something about her love, it seemed so genuine. Harry didn't know... he was confused. But also, he was happy.

He decided not to think about it any further and just settled for enjoying his caretaker's soft and warm embrace. He felt so safe and warm when she held him... Nadia kissed his head, and then her ears perked up at the sound of the oven finishing its cooking. "Oh hey, suppertime, kitten. C'mon, let's go eat."

Harry looked up and smiled at Nadia. "Okay, Miss Fortune." He said, happily leaning into the embrace of Nadia. She sat him at the kitchen table and went back to the oven. Pulling the casserole out, she set it on the counter, letting it cool for a moment.

When she was satisfied that it was cool enough to eat, she scooped two bowls full for her and Harry, setting Harry's share down in front of him. "There ya go, kitten, eat up." Nadia encouraged with a smile. Harry smiled back, then obediently scooped some of the casserole into his mouth. His eyes lit up instantly at the taste.

"It's really good." He said quietly, tasting the food.

"Indeed it is." Nadia grinned. The casserole tasted... better somehow, and she expected that was Harry's doing. "This is really good!"

"You think so?" Harry asked, looking up hopefully.

"Yeah, kitten, that little bit of bacon was a great idea! Really adds more flavour to this stuff, heh." She chuckled softly and returned to her meal. Harry did the same, taking pride in what he had accomplished with the meal, and they ate their dinner in a comfortable silence. When they finished, Nadia sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Ah, that really hit the spot!" She exclaimed. "Super filling though. I better be careful, or I might go pop! Heh." Harry's eyes widened in fear.

"You can pop just from eating too much?!" He said in a panic.

"Nah, I'm just kidding kit." She said reassuringly, picking him up and holding him close.

"Oh... okay. I'd be sad if you were gone..."

'This kid is too sweet for his own good... And I love him!' Nadia internally gushed, kissing Harry playfully. She decided to enjoy some more time with him, maybe tell another story to him, and carried Harry back to he room.

She laid flat-out on the bed, resting on her back with her head on the pillow, holding Harry atop her body, essentially turning herself into a makeshift mattress. "All right, kitten... I got a few new stories to tell ya all about how awesome I am. Lemme tell ya all about the time I made a fool out of some mafia goons..." And so, Nadia told the story of a cat-and-mouse game. She was the mouse...and she was also the cat. The thugs never stood a chance against her superior wit and cunning.

Harry seemed completely enthralled with the story, sitting on her lap, eyes wide, soaking in every word. There was something that Nadia found heart-melting about it. He was so pure, so sweet. "So anyhow, it turned out that the morons I was fighting were after some stone I had found like, a week before." She continued. "So, I had a choice; hand it over, or beat the daylights out of them. Naturally, I chose the latter."

She chuckled and remembered the one-sided massacre. "Heh... I gave one of those crooks an atomic wedgie... Another one got a shot to...well... a VERY sensitive area... Some chick was headfirt in a dumpster... It was awesome."

"But what about the stone?" Harry asked curiously. "What did you do with it?" Nadia blinked, then donned a thoughtful expression, ears twitching slightly.

"Let's see... Ah, right! I gave it to a guy called Big Bubba for safe keeping. He's a big goldfish guy who lives with his gang in a salvaged shipwreck."

"Is...Is that the ship with the scary snake person...?" Nadia blinked and tilted her head.

"Snake...? Oh, you mean Unagi! He's an eel. ...You've met him before...?"

"I...I was looking for food in the garbage can and his head came out the hole and roared at me..." Harry said softly.

Nadia blinked in surprise, then held Harry close. "Aw... Kit, I'm sorry..." She said softly, running a hand through his hair. She knew Unagi could be kind of mean, but she hadn't expected that... Harry looked up at Nadia and smiled slightly, leaning into her embrace. He liked when she held him like this, it was such a comforting feeling.

"I'm sure he didn't mean to scare ya, kitten... Unagi's job is to guard the entrance to the hideout... He kinda has a knee jerk response when anyone gets too close..." Chuckling, she kissed his cheek. "Heh... He did the same thing to me when they first moved in... Nearly jumped right outta my shorts." She reminisced.

"So... He doesn't eat people...?" Harry asked softly.

"He doesn't eat people." Nadia assured him, choosing not to mention that that was Bubba's thing. Didn't wanna frighten the little guy.

"Oh. Okay..." Harry blinked, deciding to trust Miss Nadia. She smiled and patted his head again.

"Anyhow..." She mused aloud, looking around. "Oh, it's getting kinda late." She remarked, seeing the clock on the wall. "You sleepy hon?"

"Um... No, I'm not tir-" Harry began before yawning audibly, Nadia chuckled and re-adjusted him in her arms.

"Well, you've had a big day kit." She cooed softly. "If you're sleepy, you can go to sleep, I'll take care of you."

Rising to her feet, she walked over to the lightswitch and flicked it off before climbing into bed with a feline yawn. "Ugh... I'm tired too..." She muttered. Climbing into bed, she wrapped him up in her arms and curled herself around him the best she could. "All right, kitten... G'night..." She said softly.

"Night, mommy..." Harry said sleepily before realizing his slip-up and opening his eyes in a panic.

Nadia blinked, but decided to act like she hadn't heard it. Harry breathed in a panicked tone, then seemed to calm down when he Nadia didn't react. He slowly snuggled back up against her and sighed. 'Oh my gosh... he thinks I'm his mama!' Nadia was mentally screaming. She felt he heart threaten to beat at a mile a minute, but she didn't want to spook Harry.

She took a deep breath and decided she couldn't ignore this. She needed to talk to him about it. "...Harry... Do you...really see me as a mom...?"

Harry winced slightly and covered his eyes. "Um... I...I..." He stuttered nervously, trying to find the right words for how to respond to her.

"Harry... You know... If you want me to be your mom, then... that's okay with me... More than okay, actually... I'd love to be your mom... Any woman would."

"R..re..re...r..." Harry began to stammer, eyes watering up at the thought. Nadia smiled and held him close, kissing him on the forehead.

"Really." She smiled down at him. "If you want to call me mom, I have no issues with it." Harry looked up in disbelief, then sniffed. Finally, he broke down, crying into Nadia's chest, it was clear he was happy, and Nadia felt like crying as well. The two remained in their tight embrace.

"There ya go, little guy, it's okay... Mama's here for ya..." She whispered gently into his ear. He clutched to her even tighter, his body racked with sobs. Finally, after fifteen minutes, his sobbing ceased, and he simply laid against her, snuggled up close with his face buried in her chest. Nadia chuckled.

"I...I love you... mommy..." Harry said softly.

Nadia wiped some tears from her eyes, then leaned forward, giving Harry a long kiss on the forehead. When she finally pulled back, she smiled down at the tiny boy who was looking up at her with wide, happy eyes.

"I love you too, sweetie." She cooed softly. "I love you too." Pulling her son close, Nadia nuzzled the top of his head and grinned. She was happy, and it was clear Harry was too. After a few minutes, she heard his tiny breathing, and noticed he was fast asleep again. Lying back on the bed, Nadia smiled, letting her eyes slowly close as she began to think about his happy future.


	5. Chapter 5

Nadia awakened, arching her back and meowing tiredly before turning to look at Harry. The events of last night caught up to her, and she smiled tenderly. "So I'm a mom now, huh? Heh... Man do I feel old..." She chuckled to herself before gently pulling Harry from the bed and cradling him like a baby.

Harry was still fast asleep, cooing softly as Nadia rocked him back and forth. "Still, if I was ever gonna be a mama, I'm happy it's for someone as sweet and precious as my little kit." She whispered, kissing Harry's sleeping face, earning a tiny coo, and slight squirm in response. Why was he so cute? It wasn't fair...

She took a seat on the bed, rocking the boy back and forth as she purred softly, planting the occasional kiss on his forehead, nose or cheeks. After several minutes, Harry slowly awakened, yawning cutely and looking around before noticing Nadia. "M-Mama...?" He mumbled softly.

"Morning, kitten... Have a good sleep?" Nadia said gently.

"Mmhmm... I didn't have any bad dreams..." Harry mumbled, still snuggled up against his mama.

"That's great to hear, kit." Nadia smiled down at him. "It's good for you when you don't have any bad dreams."

"You kept me safe." Harry said, more as a statement of fact than a question.

Her ear twitched, and she beamed down at him. "You bet I did, little guy..." She said softly. "And I always will... Just call for me if you're in trouble and I'll come running." She wasn't exaggerating either. Her sense of hearing was on a whole new level. She'd likely hear him from a mile away... Then she remembered something. "Hey... Kitten... Your voice sounds a loooot better." She said with a grin. "I think someone's finally comin' down from that cold!"

"Yay..." Harry mumbled happily, snuggling close. Nadia chuckled softly and patted his head. He was such a little cuddler. Sure he may have been affection-starved... but now, she intended to give him all the affection and love he wanted!

Chuckling, she kissed his head and carried him to the washroom. "Well, whattya say we start the day now? I know what'll wake ya up..." She turned on the shower, making sure the water was just right. "Okay, kitten, just get yourself undressed and hop into the shower. Get cleaned up and ready for the day while I make ya some breakfast." Harry nodded, and as she left the room, he got out of his pajamas and climbed into the shower.

He tensed for a moment, afraid of being burned like he had been so many times before. But then he remembered, his mama wasn't going to hurt him, she cared for him. The water was nice and warm, and it did indeed help wake Harry up. He cleaned himself off before waiting for his mommy to come collect him. A few minutes later, Nadia returned and smiled when she saw Harry peeking out from the shower curtain.

"Hey, hun, you good to come out now?" Nadia asked with a warm smile. Harry nodded, and she grabbed a towel as he turned off the water. Carefully bundling him up, Nadia set to drying him off, grinning and kissing his tiny face. "All right, all dried off... Now, let's get ya dressed up." She went back into her room and picked out a striped blue and white shirt and a pair of overalls for him.

Once that was done, Nadia tucked her son- 'Wow, that feels strange to think.' Nadia remarked mentally with a smile-into her arm and carried him to the kitchen, where she sat him down and put breakfast in front of him. Harry looked at it for a moment, then Nadia prodded: "Go on kit! Eat up."

Harry grabbed his fork and began to eat, smiling warmly as he savoured the taste of the meal. He loved his mother... She did so much for him... Nadia watched him with a sad smile. 'Poor little guy... Been through so much, and here he is trying everything he can to get back on his feet...'

When he finished, she smiled down at him. She was thinking about what they needed to do today, and a thought occurred to her. "Hey, kit." She smiled. "Would you like to go to town with me today? Or would you prefer for Aunt Minette to watch you while I'm out?"

"Um... I wanna be with you." Harry answered.

Nadia gave him a toothy grin and ruffled his hair. "You got it, my little partner in crime! Heh... That's just an expression, don't worry, just eat up." Smiling, Harry ate his meal, enjoying the taste of his mother's cooking. His mother... Miss Nadia was his mother... She'd accepted him as her child... It felt surreal, yet it made him so happy...

Well, she intended to keep him as happy as possible. She glanced out the window, and noticed that while the sun was shining, it was still rather cold just from the look of things. So, she turned her attention to the clothes Minette had bought for him. After a few minutes, she found a winter coat and bundled her son up in it, grinning as only his face was poking out now.

"All right, there ya go, all bundled up for the weather! Now let's get this show on the road!" She cheered before throwing on her thin trenchcoat that didn't cover her back end. Harry tilted his head, thinking she wouldn't be warm enough, but then remembered she had carried him around in her extremely revealing outfit when she'd first found him and seemed none the worse for wear. "Miss Nadia...? Do you not get cold?" He asked innocently.

"I used to, but I'm fine now." She replied. "But your concern is sweet, kit." She kissed Harry on the forehead and readjusted her son in her arms. The tiny boy giggled as he was held close, simply enjoying spending time with his mama. The pair began their walk to town, Nadia occasionally telling Harry about some some of the places they passed by. Harry was listening intently, both curious about his new home, and wanting to show his appreciation for his mother.

Nadia chuckled and set him down on the ground. "Well, let's go do some shopping. Gotta pick out some presents for Minette and the rest of my friends."

"Okay." Harry replied with a nod. Smirking, Nadia grabbed his hand and led him along. Then she remembered yesterday's news story and frowned.

"Oooh, I hope the townsfolk don't decide to swarm us..." Nadia mumbled.

Harry was a little confused, but didn't feel the need to ask what his mama meant. When they eventually arrived at the mall, Harry looked around in childish wonder at the surroundings. "Heh, it's pretty big, isn't it kit?" She smiled down at him.

"Mmhmm..." Harry answered, somewhat nervously.

"Hey, just stick by me and you won't get lost, okay Harry?" Nadia said kindly. Harry looked up at her and nodded.

He squeezed her hand tightly and looked around nervously at the large crowd surrounding him, feeling very small and insignificant as he looked at them all. Nadia noticed and squeezed back gently. She knew he'd prefer to be carried... But honestly, she thought he needed to walk on his own for some time... It didn't seem healthy to just carry him everywhere. She didn't want him to overrely on it.

As they made their way through, a few townsfolk came up to thank Nadia for helping rid the town of the hell hounds. Nadia laughed and talked with them, feeling happy that her work hadn't gone unnoticed. Harry was nervous. He didn't know anyone, and he was somewhat being surrounded. He wasn't sure if anyone saw him or not, but it didn't help his paranoia one way or the other.

Nadia noticed his extreme discomfort after a while and led him away gently, squeezing his hand in a reassuring manner. "Sorry, kitten. It's all right, they're gone now..." She was second guessing whether or not it was the best idea to bring Harry out in public so soon.

Harry, to her disappointment (mostly at herself) didn't reply. He just looked up at her and held onto her hand tighter. The fear on his face was clear, and it was also clear he was trying to be brave for her. Nadia smiled and gave him a hug. "It's okay hon, I'm proud of you." She said soothingly.

Harry seemed to relax when he heard those words, a smile forming on his face. Nadia grinned and pressed her forehead against his affectionately. "You're making a real effort here... You're doing great. We'll be done soon enough, okay? We'll finish shopping and I'll take you out to lunch at Yu-Wan's, how's that sound?"

"Mkay." Harry nodded. It was tentatively, but Nadia didn't blame him. She took his hand once again and they continued on their way. Thankfully this time, most people waved or said hello, but kept going on their way as well. Harry had relaxed somewhat, he felt safe with his mama.

Nadia would give him the occasional smile of encouragement and a gentle hand squeeze to ensure he knew she was right there with him. It all worked well... Until the rush really picked up...

Nadia frowned, she knew Harry didn't like crowds, but she was also having a hard time moving throughout the crowd. She groaned in irritation as people kept milling about. "You okay, kit?" She asked.

She got no response. "...Kitten?" She looked over, and her eyes widened in shock when she saw that she had lost Harry in the crowd. "No... No no no no no..." She muttered to herself, fighting against the shoppers to find her missing son. Currently, she was cursing the very existence of the special items out of towners came from all over the kingdom to buy as gifts for their loved ones. The vast majority of these shoppers she'd never seen in her life! She would know! She's met everyone in town! What she didn't know was that a massive man that looked like a walrus was in this very mall, in search of a gift for his son...

Vernon hadn't been paying too much attention to the town he was stopping by, and hadn't realized he was back where he had left the freak. It was strange... He found his feelings towards the situation flip-flopping constantly. Sometimes he didn't care. Sometimes he feared consequences. And sometimes, he wanted his chore boy back. The large man kept making his way through the mall, looking for...

"No..." He muttered in disbelief.

Indeed... There he was... The bloody freak in the flesh, looking around the mall like a scared lost puppy. Now, if he were in his right mind, he'd have left the boy be... But the blood wards had twisted and corrupfed him over the course of the years, and any and all logic was gone, his instinct screamed at him to grab the boy, drag him somewhere private and beat him to within an inch of his life...

Harry was terrified. Absolutely terrified. He was all alone again...! Where was his mother?! Would he have to go back to living on the streets?!

Harry was disoriented now. Despite having spent time alone on the streets, he had never been in the mall before. Therefore, he was left completely lost and frightened as to what was going on. Harry looked around in confusion before seeing someone he hoped he would never see again. Harry blinked in horror before deciding to do what he used to do best. He slipped out a nearby door and tried to hide.

However, he was spotted. He hid inside a nearby alley, hugging his knees and praying that he would not be found by his uncle. When he heard familiar heavy thuds, he knew he'd been found... "So you're still alive, are you, boy? I'd hoped you'd have frozen to death by now. Worthless ruddy freak... Can't even die right." Harry whimpered and buried his face in his knees, only to yelp as he felt himself being roughly grabbed by the wrist. Eyes snapping open, he found himself meeting his uncle's hate-filled gaze. "Look at me when I'm bloody talking to you, boy." Harry wanted to call out for help. He wanted to struggle, fight, scream for his mommy... But he was paralyzed. Absolutely frozen with fear as he flashed back to the beatings he'd received from this man.

Harry looked at his uncle, the fear in his eyes the same as the day he had been abandoned. Harry felt like everything over the past few days had been a dream, and he was back on the streets, and his uncle had came to torture him once again.

Meanwhile, Nadia was in a full blown panic at this point, trying desperately to find her son. She hadn't seen him or anyone she knew to stop and ask.

Finally, out of desperation, she started grabbing random strangers by the shoulders and pleading for them to tell her. But none of them knew where he was. Nadia was terrified... Where was her boy?!

Outside in the alley, Harry laid whimpering on the ground, clutching at his injured stomach that Vernon had punched multiple times. The fat man had dropped him unceremoniously onto the ground and kicked him in the side, sending him tumbling slightly. He then kicked him again, this time in the face. Harry cried out and began to tear up. "Mommy... Mommy, help... Help..." He sobbed softly.

Snarling, Vernon grabbed him by the throat and hoisted him up to eye level. "Who said you were allowed to cry?! Who?!" He snarled through gritted teeth. "And who is this 'mommy'? You have no mother! What woman would want you?! Now shut up! You're coming back with me! Leaving you behind was a mistake... So many damned chores, no ways to vent my frustrations..."

Harry's blood ran cold. He was... going back...? Back to the Dursleys...? Away from his mother who loved him and back to being abused and hated...? No... No... He couldn't lose his mother... He wanted his mother right now... Tearing up, he screamed one word at the top of his little lungs...

"MOOOOOOOOOMMYYYYYYYY!"

She heard him. Against all odds, against the bustling of the crowds, through the walls of the mall, Nadia Fortune heard her child calling out for her to come and save him.

Tearing off at speeds she hadn't known were possible, she ran through the doors and down the road. She only heard it once, but she knew where he was. Rounding the corner, she saw some inhuman monster attacking her son. Without a second thought, she ran forward and slashed the large man across the chest with her claws. The main cried out in pain and dropped Harry, turning to see who had attacked him, only to receive a large slash across his face, the claws digging deep into his face.

Nadia wasn't someone who tended to get angry often, maybe it was a benefit of being effectively immortal, but when she saw this monster attacking Harry, the anger of everything she had been through came flooding back. The fear, the pain, the loss, but this time, instead of sadness, they all culminated into absolute fury.

As Vernon screamed and clutched at his wounded face, Nadia threw off her trenchcoat and tackled him to the ground. Her claws glinted dangerously and she let out a low growl before viciously attacking, striking him with repeated claw slashes all over his body, eventually forgoing the claws completely in favour of simply punching the fat man in the face non-stop.

The only reason she did not end up killing Vernon Dursley was because the sound of her son crying caused her to come to her senses. Eyes wide, she slowly turned to look at him. He didn't even seem to know she was there... And her heart clenched at the sight of his face. His lip was busted, he had a black eye and a swollen cheek, his nose was slightly bent, and he was bleeding from the forehead.

"Mommy... Mommy, help... Mommy, where are you...? Please help, mommy, I need you, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts..."

Scooping her son up, Nadia held him close to her chest, silently crying, Nadia felt like she had failed... How could she have let this happen!? The tiny boy seemed as broken as when she first found him, he was shaking uncontrollably. "Harry... Harry... I'm here..." She said softly.

"Ma..mama?" Harry whimpered. "I'm sowwy... I didn mean to get lost..."

His voice broke Nadia's heart. He could barely speak! She was furious with herself for letting this happen. What should she do!? Minette... maybe Minette's healing water could help.

She retrieved her trenchcoat and pulled out her phone, shakily sending a text to her best friend. Once it was sent, she turned her attention to comforting her child. "It's okay, kitten, mama's here... I'm here for you..." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Vernon trying to limp away and scowled. "Stop. Right. There. Vernon tensed up and looked at her with narrowed eyes. Nadia glared right back. "So you're his uncle, huh...? You're the fat loser that abused my kid!"

"What...? Your... kid?" Vernon wheezed out. Nadia set Harry down for a moment, then kicked Vernon directly in the face, sending him into a wall. Without waiting for an answer, Nadia began beating his face in again. She paused for a moment, then breathed angrily, finally asking:

"WHY?"

Vernon coughed up blood. "I... I..." He grumbled under his breath. Snarling, Nadia held her claws up to his neck, drawing blood in the process.

"You WHAT? What excuse could you possibly have for hurting a defenseless little boy?! A member of your family?! Go on! Tell me right now!"

"Because... Because I hate him... I hate him so much... With all my heart I hate him... I hate what he is, I hate what he stands for... I think he deserves to suffer..."

"Huh." Nadia blinked, surprisingly calm all of a sudden. "Well, in that case, the same thing can be said about you."

"Wait. wha-"

Nadia then cut him off by kicking him in the side of the head, then clawed his face again.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" She scowled. "How does it feel knowing that all someone needs to justify your death is that they hate you and everything you stand for?"

She sunk her claws deep into the fat man's side, causing a nasty gash that caused him to gasp in pain, Snarling, Nadia removed her claws, then grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and held him up to eye level.

"Get out. Get out of our town right now... You fat...disgusting MONSTER. If I catch you anywhere NEAR my son EVER again... I won't hesitate to cut it off. You get me?"

"C-Cut...what off...?" Vernon stammered fearfully. Nadia's glare intensified.

"You know what 'it' is. And then I'll feed it to you... And then, I'm gonna rip your guts out of your stomach. Now get out and don't even think about coming back."

Nadia could hear the overweight man groaning in pain as he pulled himself up and ran away. She didn't care what happened to him, she had an injured child! Scooping up Harry, she began rocking him back and forth in her arms, whispering a soothing melody to him to try and calm him as he continued to cry into her shoulder.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry kit..." She whispered. "I should've been watching you..."

She kissed his head gently before hearing a buzzing coming from her phone. Minette had answered. She picked up her phone and read the text message...

'OHMYGOSH, WHY DOES HARRY NEED HEALING WATER?! IS HE OKAY?! WHAT HAPPENED?!' Nadia sighed softly and texted back.

'It's a long story... Bring it to my house... I'll explain it to you there...' After sending the message, she turned to look at Harry. "You wanna just go home, kitten...?" Harry nodded.

"Okay, don't worry. We're going home." She cooed softly. "Miss Minette is bringing healing water, we'll get you feeling better in no time!"

Despite her best efforts, Harry didn't seem to perk up, and she didn't blame him. She had been trying to help him get away from his abuse... and then it just came flying back... As she walked, she tried a few more times to cheer Harry up, but it was clear he was absolutely terrified beyond words.

She gently stroked his back and sighed softly. "All right, hun... Here... Just let mommy kiss it better for you..." Leaning down, she kissed Harry's swollen cheek, then his blackened eye.

Oh God the sight of his injured face broke her heart... She found herself wishing she'd punched that fat freak at least thirty more times...

"I'm so sorry, Harry... I know I promised this before, but he will NOT hurt you again... Mommy scared him off..."

Harry remained silent, just trying to stay close to his mommy. He knew she would take care of her, but that didn't change his fear of what had just happened. It took a few minutes for them to return to Nidia's home, and Minette came running out when she saw Nadia carrying Harry.

"OHMYGOSHWHATHAPPENED!?"

The Dagonian rushed towards them and gasped in horror at the state of Harry's face. "Oh my gosh, Harry, sweetie..." She breathed. Nadia sighed softly.

"You got the healing water?" She asked. Minette nodded wordlessly and gestured inside.

"I have a bath ready upstairs, but... How did he get like this, Nadia...?"

Nadia exhaled and tightened her hold on her son. "...His uncle found him..."

Minette's eyes widened in shock, she gasped silently and covered her mouth. Her eyes showed pain and shock, and began water up.

"Wh..di...did... did his uncle...?"

"Yeah." Nadia frowned. "He just... I don't know why, and I don't know what happened... But when I got out there, he was in bad shape."

"You can tell me more later, let's get the poor dear healed." Minette said quietly.

Nadia nodded, then gently rubbed Harry's head. "Thanks Minette... It means a lot that you care so much..." She carried him upstairs to her bathtub.

Gently, she removed his clothes and set him in. Harry relaxed slightly as the water washed over the bruises and bumps on his stomach and side, causing the injuries to vanish near instantly.

"So... what happened exactly? Minette asked quietly, still shook up at the sight of Harry so wounded and not wanting to upset him. "You said his uncle found him?"

"Somehow, yeah... Harry and I were at the mall and we got separated I think he got scared and ran off to try and find me, he was in an alley near where I first found him and... it was horrible." Minette replied sadly, seeming uncharacteristic down and self-loathing. "I... I wasn't there Minette..."

Minette put a hand on Nadia's shoulder. The feral sighed softly and clenched her fists. "I promised him he wouldn't be hurt living here, and I wasn't there to protect him..."

"Nadia..." Minette said softly.

"I blame myself. I took him out on the worst possible time of the year... I knew how shy he was... What was I thinking, taking him out shopping during Christmas season...?"

"Nadia..." Minette said softly again. "You've always been about making friends, you're an extrovert. Even before everything that happened to you happened you were always about meeting new people. Harry... Well, I think Harry may be more of an introvert. But regardless, you were trying to take care of him. You've rescued him and were trying to help him come out of his shell. But you coudlnt've expected this."

Nadia sighed again, looking at her friend sadly.

"I know, but... I should've been there for him."

"And you were. Sure, you were there a little bit late... Maybe a little bit TOO late for your liking... But in the end, you did get there to help him when he needed you."

Nadia frowned and remembered the fat man. "...You better believe I beat the hell out of that bastard, Minette... You have no idea how badly I wanted to kill him..."

"I mean, yeah." Minette frowned. "After all he did, who wouldn't? But it's not like killing the hellhounds, people may have taken issue with that. Not to mention it probably would've terrifed Harry."

"I know, I know..." Nadia sighed. "I just... I can't believe I let this happen! Minette, what am I gonna do!? He may never trust me again!"

"Nadia?"

"Yeah?"

"Calm down."

Nadia sighed softly, taking a seat and hugging her knees, biting her lip so hard that her fangs drew blood. "I made him a promise that I failed to keep..."

"It wasn't your fault, Nadia... And... well... Think of it this way... Did he see you fighting his uncle...?" Nadia blinked, then nodded her head slowly. "And you won?"

"Yeah, it was easy... I beat his face black and blue."

"Then... Maybe that will help Harry get some closure on this whole thing."

Nadia blinked, thinking it over, then let a small smile form on her face.

"Heh... yeah, maybe." She said softly. Looking down at Harry who seemed to have fallen asleep in the tub, breathing peacefully once again. Nadia didn't have the heart to wake him up, so she gently took him out of the tub and wrapped him up in a towel.

"Agh... I just remembered... everything I bought is still at the mall..." Nadia sighed in annoyance.

"I could take care of Harry for a bit." Minette smiled.

Nadia gave her a grateful smile and hugged her. "Thanks, Minette... You're a pal... Just stay with him though... He'll have nightmares if he's alone..."

Smiling, Minette took Harry from Nadia and cuddled him close, running her fingers through his hair in a soothing manner, causing him to snuggle up subconsciously.

The Dagonian giggled and kissed his head. Nadia leaned over, kissing his forehead and cheeks. "Mommy'll be back really soon, Harry..."

Minette's eyes widened. "Mommy...? Nadia, does that mean...?"

Nadia grinned, and Minette's eyes widened and a huge grin came across her face.

"Yay!" She quietly cheered. "I'm so happy for you!"

Nadia chuckled before quickly heading out. She didn't want to be gone from Harry for too long. Minette sat on a couch with the sleeping bundle in her arms.

"Mama Fortune?" She thought. "Never really thought of Nadia as someone who'd wanna be a parent, but I think I'd adopt the little sweetie if I had found him... *Gasp* does that mean I'm Aunt Minette?!

She bit her lip and let out a soft squee at the thought. The thought of this precious child being a member of her family, even in a roundabout way, warmed her heart.

Still, she decided to ask Nadia when she came back. She wasn't the type to jump to conclusions. She smiled down at Harry. "Soooo cuuute..."

At that time, Harry began squirming about as he woke up. His tiny eyes opened and looked around, suddenly snapping to attention.

"Mommy!?" He exclaimed as loudly as he could through his sleepy tone. "Mommy?! Wher..."

"Harry, it's okay!" Minette said softly, rocking the bundle in her arms. "Hey, Harry. Nadia's just ran back to the mall, she'll be back in a few minutes."

Harry blinked and looked around. Finally seeing Minette, he seemed to calm down a little bit.

"M-Miss Minette..." He spoke softly. Minette smiled sadly and gave him a kiss on the cheek, squeezing him tightly and protectively to keep him feeling safe.

"Yes, Harry, Miss Minette's taking care of you until your mommy comes home, and... Aww... Harry, you're crying..." The young Dagonian said sadly.

"I..I...I...I..." Harry tried to get out, but the fear of what had just happened caught up with him again.

"It's okay cutie." She smiled down at him, kissing him again. "You don't have to talk about it. How about you get comfy and we can watch something? Or I could tell you a story."

Harry's stuttered breathing finally seemed to calm down.

"Mama?" He asked timidly.

"She'll be back soon." Minette spoke softly. "She just went to town real quick."

Harry nodded and nestled into her arms, resting his tiny head against her chest and clutching at her shirt. Minette let out a soft giggle, putting a hand to her mouth.

"You're such a sweet little guy... So cuddly and adorable..." She cooed softly, rubbing his back. Grabbing the remote, she flipped through TV channels, settling on something educational.

Harry didn't seem to be paying much attention, however. He seemed to be focusing on cuddling up with her. Evidently, he just wanted to cuddle with his mother... But he saw her as a suitable substitute.

Minette smiled down at him every now and then, making sure he was comfy or content. She could tell he wanted to be with Nadia, but could also tell he didn't mind being with her. She patted his head gently, and felt Harry snuggle closer. The Draconian smiled to herself, thinking about what would've happened if she had found Harry.

'Probably not much would be different...' She mused. 'Except I'd be Mama Minette and Nadia would be Aunt Nadia. Heh, Nadia would probably keep stealing him though. Besides, I think it was for the best that she found him, I dunno if I could handle the hell hounds as well as she could.'

Sighing softly, she looked down at Harry with a sad smile and gave him another kiss on the temple. "You've been through a lot... Haven't you...?"

Harry tensed up slightly. "I...I don't... I um... Mommy will tell you..." Harry said softly, clutching at her shirt and shaking slightly. Minette smiled sadly.

"I know you don't want to talk about it... And that's okay... I just wanted to tell you that you're part of not just Nadia's family... But mine too." Minette said softly.

"...thank you Auntie Minette." Harry mumbled quietly, looking away slightly, as if he was embarrassed or afraid to say it aloud. Minette blinked and gave a slight gasp, then a wide grin spread across her face. She wanted to scream in joy, but knew the tiny boy needed comfort right now. So, she readjusted him so his head was resting against her chest.

"So cute." She smiled.

Harry clutched tightly to her, using her chest as his makeshift pillow. She giggled and rocked back and forth in her seat, gently humming a soothing tune.

After she'd finished, Harry lay prone in her arms. He was awake, but his eyes were closed and he was sucking his thumb innocently and happily.

"Auntie's here, honey... She cooed before kissing his forehead.

The tiny boy sighed contently in his sleep, seemingly in the midst of a peaceful dream.

Meanwhile, Nadia was almost home and her mind was still racing. Should she have left Harry with Minette? What if he had a nightmare? What if Harry didn't want to see her again? What if she had ruined her relationship with him? What if-

As she entered the room, she saw Harry sleeping peacefully in Minette's arms, and all her fears melted away.

Taking a deep breath, she entered her home, extending her tendons to set her bags on the counter so she could approach the two of them.

Noticing her, Minette perked up with a smile, carefully handing Harry back to his mother without waking him up.

"Is he okay?" Nadia quietly asked.

"He work up frightened, but he quickly calmed down, the little cutie called me Auntie Minette." The Draconian smiled fondly. "But it was clear he was missing you, he didn't want to be separated from you again."

Nadia smiled and kissed her son on the cheek lovingly.

"Mama's home sweetie." She cooed softly.

Harry smiled in his sleep and nuzzled in closer. Chuckling, Nadia took a seat with her son in her arms, cuddling him tight against her breast.

He quickly stirred in her arms and yawned adorably before looking up at her smiling facs, perking up almost instantly. "Mama... You came back..."

"Of course kit, I'd never leave you." She smiled down at him, hugging him close. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better."

"Mmhmm... Miss Minette's water feels nice." Harry said softly, smiling up at his mama.

Nadia chuckled softly and nuzzled him with her cheek. "Yep... It's made to heal, after all..." She fell silent for a moment before speaking again.

"Kitten... I really am sorry... I really messed up back there. I should have carried you or had Minette babysit... If I hadn't lost ya, that fat loser never would have gotten his blubbery mitts on ya..."

"Um." Harry mumbled, unsure of what to say in response. "It..it's fine, I-"

"No kitten. No." Nadia cut him off in a slightly stern tone. "You didn't deserve this, any of it. Please don't let yourself believe that. You're a precious little boy, don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise."

Harry looked up tentatively, then simply tired to hug Nadia, thankful his mama was back.

Nadia blinked, then chuckled softly and rested her chin on his head. "Aw, kitten... I'm glad you're not mad at me..." She said softly. "Are you okay though? Do you wanna sit down and talk about it?"

Harry hesitated for a moment before he slowly nodded his head. Nadia took a seat next to Minette. "All right, kit... If you have anything to say about what happened, get it off your chest..."

"W..why?" Harry finally got out. Clearly he wanted to say more, but his fears were keeping him from doing so.

"Why? ...kit. I'm sorry." Nadia sighed. "I didn't mean to lose you. I just... I shouldn't've set you down. I-"

"Um. I meant why do they hate me?"

Nadia's eyes widened at those words. The sheer sadness and confusion in his tone... It truly broke her heart to hear, and she held him tighter.

"I'm... I'm a freak..." Harry mumbled. "I don't wanna be a freak mama... I don't wanna be hurt anymore."

Nadia was left silent, trying to think of a response. All she could do was hold her son close, afraid to let go.

"You're not a freak kit." She whispered.

She gently nuzzled him before holding her forehead against his and looking into his big green eyes. "If anyone's the freak, it's him..." Harry looked at her.

"H-Huh...? Uncle Vernon...? What's so freaky about him?"

"Well, he's a massive mountain of pure blubber, he looks like a walrus, his fashion sense is tacky, he can literally turn purple... And above all else... He doesn't see what a good boy you are... Child beaters... They're the real freaks, the scum of the world..."

Harry didn't reply right away, he didn't know what to say. He just wanted to feel safe...

"Mama?" He asked timidly.

"Yes love?"

"Um... he... he's not gonna hurt me anymore, is he?" Harry asked quietly.

Nadia smiled sadly down at the tiny boy, holding him closer nuzzling the top of his head with her cheek.

"No, absolutely not, not a chance in hel-" She began, but cut herself off when she saw the look Minette was giving her.

"Not a chance in HECK." She 'corrected' herself sheepishly. Harry buried his face into her chest and shook slightly. "Th-Thank you... mama..."

Nadia kissed his head and rested her cheek atop it. "Hey... Any time, kitten... I'll do anything to keep ya safe... Because that's just what moms are for."

Harry smiled, believing his Mama. He nuzzled closer and finally spoke after a few moments.

"Aunt Minette is nice, she held me while you were gone."

"Oh, Aunt Minette?" Nadia smiled.

Minette smiled brightly. Harry nodded. "Y-Yes... I called her... auntie, and she was happy about it... Just like you when I called you mommy..."

Nadia smiled and kissed his head. "Well, it's only right... She is your godmother after all."

Minette's grin was huge at this pint, she stepped forward and kissed Harry on the cheek, making him coo cutely.

"Do you two need anything?" She asked. "I can go to the store if you need food or something... or..."

"Honestly, I think if you stay for a bit, that'd be best." Nadia admitted, a somewhat saddened tone re-appearing in her voice. "The little guy needs all the comforting he can get..."

Minette looked sad and nodded, taking a seat next to Nadia and Harry. "Okay, I'm not going anywhere... Poor little Harry, so cute and quiet and shy..."

Harry gave her a grateful smile before looking at Nadia. "M-Mommy...? What's a godmother...?" Harry asked softly.

"Well, Harry... Basically, if anything happened to me, which it won't, Minette here's the one that'll take care of you for me."

Minette looked sad and nodded, taking a seat next to Nadia and Harry. "Okay, I'm not going anywhere... Poor little Harry, so cute and quiet and shy..."

Harry gave her a grateful smile before looking at Nadia. "M-Mommy...? What's a godmother...?" Harry asked softly.

"Well, Harry... Basically, if anything happened to me, which it won't, Minette here's the one that'll take care of you for me."

"Oh..." Harry blinked before trying to hug Nadia's neck. "But I don't want anything to happen to you..."

His innocent tone and sweet gesture made Nadia's eyes widen further than she thought possible. She was thankful for the life gem, as she believed her heart may have just stopped and the gem was the only thing keeping her alive. A huge grin formed on her face and she patted the tiny boy's back.

"Awww..." She sighed.

"Nothing's gonna happen to me, kitten. Not a chance... But even if I am wrong about that, you still have your auntie Minette to look after ya..."

Harry felt grateful towards Minette, but the mere concept that something could happen to his adoptive mother made him sick to his little tummy.

Nadia sighed and sat down on a couch, holding her son close before adding:

"If you need to cry some more, go ahead. I'm here for you kit."

Harry looked with with watery eyes, but he didn't feel like he could cry. He was terrifed, but for some reason he didn't feel tears coming the way they used to.

Nadia gave him a sad look. "All cried out, huh? Heh... Ya sure did a lot of it on the way home... You must be thirsty from all that crying... C'mon..."

Rising to her feet, she looked at Minette to inform her she'd be right back, then carried Harry into the kitchen to get him a glass of water.

Filling the glass, she held it up for him and helped him gulp it down. She smiled and set the cup down when he was finished. "I'll make today up to you with a good supper tonight, kitten... And... I bought you some Christmas presents... I'll give you one now to cheer you up."

"But... but I..."

"Kit, you deserve them, you're a sweet little boy." Nadia cut him off, assuming that he would say that he didn't deserve them. She rubbed his back and smiled at him. However, she wasn't expecting what he said in response.

"But I didn't get you anything."

Nadia blinked, tilted her head, then gave him a warm smile and pressed their foreheads together, her sky-blue eyes meeting his emerald green ones.

"That isn't true at all, kitten... You gave me the best gift of all." Harry blinked and tilted his head, much like her. "The gift you got me is the opportunity to be a mom."

"Oh... um..." Harry mumbled, but didn't say anything, eventually just leaning into the embrace. Nadia heard Minette give an "Aww!" at the sight, and she didn't blame her. Sure, Nadia woulnd'tve left Harry to be attacked by the Hell Hounds, but she honestly had expected to grow so attached to him. But at the same time, she was happy she did. Harry seemed to add something she needed in her life.

She went over to her purchases, and Harry noticed something sitting on the table... It was a giant fluffy teddy bear. He looked up at it with wide eyes.

Nadia smiled at his reaction and leaned down, kissing his cheek. "Like him, kitten? He's yours." She said gently. Harry looked up at her and she smiled back at him.

"You love your cuddles, right? So a big old cuddly teddy bear's perfect for ya!"

Harry didn't respond. For a moment, Nadia was nervous she had done something wrong. But then it occurred to her; she was the first person who actually gave a damn about him. so it was possible that this was the first gift he was ever given, and as such, he may not have known HOW to react.

Smiling sadly, she grabbed the bear from off the table and set it down on the couch next to Minette. "C'mon, kitten... Try cozying up to the big guy. I think you'll like him."

Gently, she set him down in the bear's lap in a manner that made it look like the bear was hugging him.

Harry still seemed awkward, but eventually leaned against it. It felt like a big fuzzy mattress. He liked it! He squirmed slightly and then nuzzled down, enjoying the warmth of the literal bear hug.

"Ithinkmyheartjuststoppedthatisthemostadorablethingiveeverseenohmygosh." Minette said so quickly, even Nadia had a hard time following it.

The cat feral chuckled and rubbed the back of her head. "Heh... Yeah... He's a cute little guy. Think I'll keep him." She joked, smiling at her adopted son.

Minette hugged her friend. "Nadia, you're the sweetest mom I've ever seen... What you told Harry in there... It was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard."

"You think so?" Nadia asked, a slight hint of uncertainty in her tone. "I mean, I hope it was, I meant every word. I just..."

"You're used to helping people, but this is making a deeper connection." Minette finished. "But that doesn't change the truth, you really are the best fit for him. I'm not his mom, so take my word for it as an outsider."

Nadia's ear twitched slightly and she gave her friend a smile. "Heh... Thanks, Minette... I really appreciate it." Nadia gave her friend a grateful hug, which she returned.

Smiling, Nadia remembered something. "Be right back, guys!" She said before running upstairs. When she came back down, she held the three plushes Minette had bought.

"Here ya go, kitten, the rest of your stuffies have come to your little get-together. Heh..." She placed her son's cuddly toys in his arms.

Harry felt oddly content. The giant bear was really comfortable and warm, and his mama had given it to him, so that made it extra special! He smiled with a close-eyed smile as he felt his mama set the stuffed animals into his arms. He seemed to be falling asleep in the bear's embrace.

"Heh, little guy had a really stressful day." Nadia remarked with a sad smile.

Reaching down, she gently stroked the little boy's hair, earning a soft coo and a content kitten-like lean as her reward for the display of affection.

Harry fell asleep, and Nadia beamed down at him. "Heh... Well, I'd say that I picked out a pretty good gift here, huh, Minette?" The Dagonian didn't answer. She was too busy cooing over Harry.

Nadia scoffed and shook her head. Minette could easily get caught up in stuff like this... but at the same time, she couldn't blame him. Harry looked so content and cute sleeping in the large bear's arms. she smile down at her son, feeling relieved that Harry was safe.

She exhaled through her nostrils and reclined in her seat, smiling contently. "So, Minette... I think you're really gonna like your gift this year."

Minette gave her an excited grin. "Oooh, I got you a great gift too, Nadia! You're gonna LOVE it!" Nadia's tail swished about behind her.

"I always do. Heh... The benefits of your dad being rich, huh? Oh! By the way, did you get Harry any Christmas gifts? I wanna make sure we don't have duplicates. That's tacky."

"I got him one of those snugezz." Minette replied. Nadia blinked in confusion and she added: "It's one of those blankets with arms. Sure the only size I could get was the adult one... but you can hold him while he wears it! It'll keep him warm and make him even more cuddly."

Nadia grinned with a soft chuckle.

"I think he'll like it." She remarked.

She looked over at the table, where all her gifts were laid out. "Wanna come and help me wrap up Harry's presents? I betcha seeing a bunch of 'em under the tree will make him happy."

Minette perked up and smiled brightly, hopping to her feet. "All right! I'll go and get them!" The Dagonian made her way towards the living room, but was stopped when Nadia extended her arm to grab her shoulder.

"Nice try, Minette. I haven't forgotten your present's over there too. You're not gonna peek at it." The feral chuckled at her friend's pouty expression.

"Fine..." She muttered. Nadia smirked and left, bringing a few bags back with her. For the next hour or so, the two friends talked, made bad jokes, wrapped presents, and made sure Harry was sleeping soundly.

"I hope he likes these." Nadia remarked. "It's kinda hard to say what he likes and doesn't like... Still, maybe this will help us understand a bit more about him."

"I thin if you give it to him, he'll be happy." Minette replied. "I mean... did you see his reaction when you wanted to give him that bear? His first reaction was guilt that he didn't get YOU anything."

Nadia sighed softly and looked at her sleeping son. "Yeah... I hope he gets past this whole self-deprecating phase soon... It hurts to think that he thinks he owes me..."

Minette giggled with a closed-eyed smile. "Well, just tell him he can repay his debt in cuddles. That'll make you both happy!" She chirped.

Once they were done, the two set to putting the gifts under the tree. As Minette set one down, she turned around and frowned.

"Hey, Nadia? I think the kid's having a bad dream." She called, seeing Harry squirming uncomfortably in the bears embrace. Before she could say anything else, Nadia was there and had scooped him up, holding him close and rubbing his back. Thankfully, it seemed to work.

Just to make sure, the cat woman purred softly into his ear and nuzzled him gently, doing everything in her power to soothe her frightened son's fear.

The tiny boy seemed to squirm for a minute, but when he felt Nadia's warm embrace, he seemed to settle down, drifting back to a peaceful sleep. He nuzzled closer to her chest and Nadia gave an 'Aww... So cute.' as she looked down at her son. How could anyone have hurt such a sweet little face?

Sighing, she sat down on the couch next to the bear and scratched his back gently, smiling as she watched Minette wrap up the last present.

"Wow, Nadia, you went all out for the little sweetie. There's like... thirty different gifts here." Minette remarked with a small smile. Nadia shrugged.

"Yeah, well... Kids are easy to shop for, it's a parent's job to spoil their kid on Christmas, and... Well, I just really love my little kitten." She kissed Harry's cheek gently.

Harry murmured something and began to wake up. Nadia adjusted him in her arms so the first thing he saw when he woke up would be her smiling face.

"Mama?" Harry mumbled.

"Hiya kit." Nadia cooed, kissing his forehead. "Have a good nap?"

Harry smiled and snuggled closer into his mother's embrace. "Mm-hmm... I like my new teddy... He's really soft... Thank you, mama..."

Nadia let out a small coo, then looked over at the tree with a toothy grin. "Heh... Well, kitten, if you're happy now, just you wait till Christmas morning."

She gently grabbed his chin and turned his head to look under the tree. His eyes widened at the sight of the presents.

At first he seemed like, well, a kid on Christmas, then his joy melted away to a mixture of sadness and regret. Nadia adjusted him in her arms and smiled down at him.

"Harry, don't feel bad about any of this. I did this because I love you, and you've given me the best gift anyone could." She said matter-of-factly.

Harry seemed to relax slightly at that, but he still wished he could do something to repay his adoptive mother... Minette seemed to catch onto this and donned a thoughtful smile.

'Hmm... I wonder if Harry likes arts and crafts...' She mused to herself. She thought if would be the sweetest thing ever if he made Nadia Christmas gifts himself...

She'd have to bring this up with the little guy, but she didn't want Nadia to know...

"So, did you have a good nap?" Nadia cooed, re-asking a question, just wanting to see her son happy.

"Mmhmm..." Harry nodded.

"So... Why don't you and Auntie Minette have some time together while I go make dinner? I won't be long." Nadia said, handing her son over to her friend.

Harry nodded obediently and allowed himself to be passed over to Minette, who took him into her arms with a delighted smile and rocked him back and forth.

After Nadia walked into the kitchen, Minette took a seat on the couch and cuddled her little nephew close to her breast, kissing his cheek gently.

"Hey, Harry. I thought of something you could do for Nadia." Minette said quietly. Harry's eyes widened in excitement.

"Really?!" He said.

"Yup." Minette smiled. "And we can do it in secret so you can surprise her."

She smiled at Harry's reaction. He clutched tightly to her apron and gave her his full attention. "Sooo, have you ever done any crafts?"

Harry blinked and tilted his head to the side. "Crafts?" He asked, curious.

"Well... It's when you make things out of stuff you find around the house."

"M'kay." Harry nodded as Minette got up and began carrying him through the house. She found some paper and some markers, thinking about what else Harry might need. Harry seemed to be thinking things over, as if trying to think about what to do.

Giggling, Minette kissed his cheek. "You should make Nadia a card. It's simple. Here... Let me get you started!" She grabbed some paper and folded it up for him, then opened it up. "See? Now you can draw or write whatever you want on it!"

Harry nodded in understanding and seemed to get deep into work. Minette thought it was adorable as he seemed so focused, so determined, it was clear that this card meant a lot to Harry and he was going to give it his all.

"Bless his little heart..." Minette smiled.

He spent a long time carefully drawing things on the card, from little cats to hearts to pictures of himself and Nadia cuddling one another or holding hands.

He added a little bit of glitter to the front of the card, drew a large picture of him and his mother holding hands, then opened the card to write something.

'Thank you for loving me, mommy. You're the best mommy in the world. I love you. -Harry.'

Minette was watching with a huge grin. It was clear Harry cared so much about Nadia, and she cared just as much about him. But there was something about the amount of work he was putting into this that... Minette didn't know how to explain it, but it felt so genuine, so passionate, she knew Nadia would love it.

She took a seat beside Harry, watching him work hard on his card, and periodically giggled into her hand at how sweet it was. Harry clearly adored his mommy...

Eventually, Harry decided he was satisfied with his work. He held it up for Minette to look at. "Do you think it's good enough? Will mommy like it?" He asked timidly.

"She'll love it sweetie." Minette said softly, kissing Harry on the head as a sign of affection. Harry blushed and leaned into the affection.

"Hey, Minette? Where's Harry?!" Nadia suddenly called, a noticable amount of fear in her voice.

"He's in here! I was telling him a story!" Nadia called back.

Nadia leaned into the room and smiled at her son. "Heh... Ah, teaching the little guy how to do crafts and stuff, huh? Heh... Well, a hobby would probably be good for him."

Seizing the opportunity, Harry grabbed his card, rising to his feet and making his way over to his mother. He slowly reached up to pass it to her.

"I...I made this to say thank you, mommy... Um... I hope it's good..." He said softly, looking down at the floor bashfully.

Nadia blinked in confusion and took the paper. She realized it was a card and her heart melted at that alone. As she read through it, seeing the image Harry had drawn, it seemed familiar... Then it hit her. It was the same one he made on the cake.

"Ooh, Harry..." She cooed, scooping her son up and holding him close. "It's perfect."

She gave him a kiss on the cheek, then looked back down at the card. "All right, let's crack this guy open, shall we?" She opened up the card.

His little drawings melted her heart almost instantly. They were so cute! The little hearts especially delighted her. It was a clear sign that love was put into the card.

Then she read the little message Harry left in the card. The one thanking her for loving him, saying she was the best mommy ever, saying he loved her...

Nadia felt tears in her eyes as she looked down at Harry, who was looking up with hopeful eyes as she held him tightly, covering his face in kisses.

"D..do you like it?" Harry timidly asked.

"I LOVE it kit." She said softly. "It's WONDERFUL."

Harry giggled as his mama kept kissing him all over, holding him close and showing him nothing but love.

She nuzzled his face gently, purring softly in joy, her tail curling into a heart shape. "I love you too, kitten... This is the best thing I could ask of you..."

Minette teared up as she watched their interaction. Their relationship was something truly beautiful...

Harry smiled and nuzzled into her chest, a smile on his face. He had made his mama happy, that's all that mattered to him. Nadia sat on the couch, rocking the tiny sweetheart in her arms. She didn't care if anyone was watching, she didn't care if the smoke alarm was going-

Wait...

"Agh! The food!" Nadia exclaimed.

Setting Harry down, she hurriedly rushed downstairs to shut the stove off, pulling out her meal to find that, much to her disliking, it was burned to a crisp.

"Shoot... And it was made special too..." She groused to herself, ears drooping. "Well, guess we're gonna have to order in instead..." She looked back up at the stairs.

"Better make sure Harry doesn't think it's his fault..."

She made her way back upstairs to explain the situation. "Uh... Heheh... Sooo, funny story, guys... I let myself get too distracted aaaand dinner got burned..."

Harry looked down with a visible wince. "M'sorry, mama..." And there it was...

"No... sweetie..." She cooed, picking him up and holding him close. "This isn't your fault. Please, I need you to understand. Everything that you've been forced to endure, everything you've been blamed for. It's not your fault."

Harry looked up in genuine confusion.

"But..."

Nadia put a finger to his lip and smiled sadly at him. "You have to stop blaming yourself for things, kitten... You didn't do anything wrong."

"I was the one who-"

"You just wanted to give me a card. And it was a sweet card that I loved very much. It was my own fault for letting myself get distracted."

"Oh. Okay..." Harry timidly replied, seeming to get the idea. However, he nuzzled closer to her and rested his head on her breasts, trying to remain close.

"Awww..." Nadia sighed. "Why are you so adorable?"

Minette giggled into her hand. "I could order from the restaurant if you want... I have an employee discount, after all." Nadia turned to her with a smile and nodded.

"Sounds good, Minette. I promised the little guy I'd take him there for lunch earlier before... Well... Y'know..." Minette bit her lip slightly before nodding.

"Okay! So, you want the usual, and... Hmm... What do you think Harry would like?"

"Ooh. Good question." She remarked, thinking quickly. "He liked the clam chowder you made."

Harry noticable seemed to perk up at that ,looking up at Nadia, who realized that and grinned down at him.

"Heh, something tells me I'm right about that one." She chuckled.

"Yes please." Harry said quietly.

Minette nodded with a smile. "Okay, but let's give him some rice too... Just as a side dish. Ooh, I want some sushi too..." Nadia stuck her tongue out.

"Blech... I'll never understand how you like that stuff..." She muttered. Minette huffed and crossed her arms, cheeks puffing out in irritation.

"It's delicious! You're just a picky eater."

Nadia laughed and shook her head, returning her son to the large bear. Harry let out a tiny whine, not wanting to be put down.

"I'll be right back honey." She smiled.

Harry nodded obediently and watched his mother walk off to place the order. Minette huffed and stuck her nose up in the air indignantly.

" Hmph... There's nothing wrong with sushi, Harry... It's super good. I'll let you try some when our food gets here. You'll love it. I promise you that."

Harry smiled up as his mama as he snuggled back into the bear. He felt reassured, his mama was taking care of him, and he was beginning to believe maybe everything wasn't his fault. But... his family had made that so clear! everything WAS his fault.

"It's not your fault. Everything they made you believe was a lie." Played through his head. His mama had said that, and she wouldn't lie to him, would she?

He tried to focus his memories on what his mother had taught him. She had taught him that he was worthy of being loved and cared for...

She had taught him that it was okay to cry when he was sad or scared...

She had taught him that he could come to her when he needed comfort...

And she was now teaching him that he didn't have to blame himself for everything.

She was an angel. Harry decided. He had heard stories from his cupboard about beautiful women who cared for people. That's what his mama was! She was an angel. And if she told him it wasn't his fault, then maybe it wasn't... this was an odd feeling for Harry. But it felt nice, and it made him feel... Happy? Yeah, that's what it was...

Nadia returned soon after with a smile, reaching down and picking her son up in her arms. "Well, kitten, food's on the way. Well, food and yucky sushi..."

"Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it isn't food!" Minette protested. Nadia just snickered, causing Minette to pout.

Harry giggled and tried to hug his mama. She was so warm! and she made him feel safe. He knew she wouldn't let his family hurt him. Today was... Harry didn't know how to explain it, but he knew Miss Fortune would NEVER let that happen again. She didn't even inted for it to happen this time. It was a mistake... That's all it was.

He buried his face into the crook of his mother's neck and hugged her tightly. "I love you, mommy..." He said softly, smiling brightly all the while.

"I love you to kit." Nadia grinned, rubbing his back ,earning content hums from the tiny boy. Heh, it almost sounded like he was purring. He was a gift. The best gift anyone could've ever given her. She hadn't expected being a mother was something she wanted, but now... she wouldn't have it ANY other way!


End file.
